Broken Dreams
by BoogiepopShippuden
Summary: OC Story. Naota and Hikaru enter their first year at Duel Academia, thinking they're in for some fun and games. Instead, the get caught up in an adventure spanning the cosmos.
1. Naota's Invincible Barrier

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX. **

**Author's Note: I will be using a ton of original cards in the duels, so if that isn't what you enjoy reading about, then choose another story, and OMR, you don't actually expect me to reveal every single detail about the main characters in the first chapter do you? Anyway, I would greatly appreciate tips on writing duels. But please don't say describe the cards more, half the time I don't even have access to pictures of the cards. I will try my best on that, but I can't promise anything more. Oh, and I'm also creating new looks for certain canon cards…because I can.**

…

The car let out a horrifying screeching noise as it spun out of control, straight toward the sidewalk. Naota tried to let out a scream but it refused to escape his throat; he closed his eyes in fear, praying he would be safe. The car was heading straight toward him, but he couldn't run, his legs were far too heavy. It was a tragic accident, but that was ten-years ago. So why was it haunting his nightmares now?

...

"Ahhhhhhh," Naota screamed in horror as he woke up from his dream. He tried to shake off the icy chill that ran through his veins. He lifted his head up and noticed the entire class staring at him. He wished that this was the nightmare, but much to his chagrin, it wasn't. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly, trying to hide his face behind his notebook.

The teacher rolled his eyes and scowled. "If you're just going to sleep in class, maybe it would be better if you didn't bother coming," Mr. Ayanami let out a long sigh and muttered something under his breath as he ran his fingers through his short white hair, something all his students recognized as a sign of his annoyance. Ayanami's annoyances were usually accompanied by extra homework, which in turn would lead to the class metaphorically crucifying the source of his annoyance.

Displeased cries of "Way to go Naota," and "Look what you did now," were erupting from the choir of students before the teacher had even announced the class's 'punishment.'

"Now class, tonight for homework I want you to do page 16, problems 1-35. This shouldn't take even the least talented of the class more than an hour to complete, and anyone with talent worth recognizing would surely be able to do the assignment in a few minutes.

Who can say why someone who clearly hated the job so much would even bother doing it?

Naota quickly jotted down the page and problem numbers before turning his attention outside. The sky was clear blue without a cloud in sight and the sun was shining brightly; days like these made Naota want to bang his head against a wall. It was only his twenty-first day at Duel Academia and he was already beginning to regret his decision to come. He woke up that morning and got ready just like usual. That involved taking a shower, brushing his short black hair free of the annoying tangles he somehow always had to deal with, forcing down whatever the Osiris Red cafeteria had cooked up for breakfast, and then running off to class. (He always reminded himself that he should brush his teeth, but he couldn't pull it off without gagging anytime the taste of toothpaste got near his tongue.) Life was boring. He had been expecting non-stop duels to come his way. He found himself thinking things like, _'Maybe I should have been late to the entrance exams so one of the teachers would have used their real deck against me, maybe then I could get someone to notice me.'_

The teacher's lecture was already over so Naota quickly propped open his textbook to the assigned page. They were simple duel puzzles, revolving around various situations one might find themselves in during the duel. Each problem gave a list of your opponent's cards and your own, as well as an objective to accomplish, such as: reduce your opponent's life points to 0 or destroy all your opponent's monsters. Naota chewed on the end of his pencil as he read the first the first problem, trying to block out the complaints of everyone around him. They were all starting to irritate him.

"I was supposed to meet up with my friend after class, now I won't finish my homework until way later," one noisy Obelisk Blue grumbled to his friend. "I swear to God why does Yamaguchi always have to be such a pest annoy the teacher?"

"It's like he want to get us extra homework," the other Obelisk moaned, not bothering to hide the anger bubbling over in his voice. "I swear to God one of these days I'd like to just…." He let his friend's imagination fill in the blank.

"I can hear you, you know," Naota told the duo, hoping to Osiris they'd shut up.

"Good!" One of them snarled angrily.

"Akira, you're just mad at Naota because he beat you in that duel exam last week," yawned a girl who had obviously been paying attention to the conversation. "You're just using any excuse you can to bad mouth him." The speaker was Hikaru Reinhardt, first year Obelisk Blue student and Naota's childhood friend. Her blonde bangs fell over the front of her face, giving her a slightly menacing appearance, a look that had took her ages to pull off right. "Now shut up or I'll tell the teacher that you both have a crush on his daughter." She added with a smile.

Rumor had it the last student to develop feelings for Ayanami's daughter ended up being driven insane over the course of the school year. Apparently, Ayanami called on him in class for every answer, and severely reprimanded him whenever he gave the wrong one.

The students kept their mouths shut, Naota flashed his friend an appreciative smile, and she grinned back.

…

"So what was that scream about?" Hikaru asked after class. "Did you have that nightmare again?" She gently placed her hand over his shoulder to comfort him.

"Yeah," he admitted, hanging his head low, "the one about the car crash."

"That's the eighth time this month," Hikaru said worriedly, "Maybe you should see a counselor."

"I'm fine," he assured her.

It was a lie.

"So how do you like it here?" Hikaru asked suddenly, "Is it everything you hoped it would be?"

Naota grinned sheepishly. "Not really. I was hoping I'd really get to improve my skills here, so that I could become a pro as soon as I graduated. But I haven't learned anything. I haven't even had any good duels yet." He moaned in frustration.

"Well then why don't you duel me?" asked an unfamiliar and angry voice.

"Who're you?" Naota asked, turning to the Obelisk Blue student who had just spoken.

"My name is Uchida Akito," he said with a snarl.

Naota smiled as he recognized the name. "Come to think of it, you kind of do look like your younger brother."

Akito had a muscular build, well-tanned skin, and short spiky black hair, much like his younger brother Akira.

"So you say my brother wasn't good enough for you. Well, how about taking on a third year Obelisk Blue student like me?" Akito asked, taunting Naota. "Or are you afraid that you can't handle me? I'll even give you a handicap if you like. I'll let you start out with 8000 Life Points."

Naota excitedly reached for his deck. "Okay, I'll duel you on the condition that if I win, you have to tell all your friends that I beat you." He face lit up with confidence.

"Sure," Akito agreed. "But if I win, you have to tell your teacher that you cheated during your duel with my little brother." He shuffled his deck and slid it into his duel disk, ready to get the battle started.

Naota cringed in fear for a moment. _'If I do that, then surely I'll get expelled. Not only that, but I'll never get to become a pro if I have something like this on my permanent record.' _He quickly shuffled his deck and slid it into his duel disk. The mechanical device beeped to life and transformed from its compact carrying form to its duel form, signifying the start of the battle."

He took a deep breath to regain his nerves. "G-O-O-D Luck," Naota said with a smile as he drew five cards.

"Why don't you go first?" Akito offered politely. He flashed a dubious smile that sent Naota's paranoia into overdrive.

"Fine, I'll take your offer," he said, drawing a sixth card. _'I bet he wants to attack me A.S.A.P.,' _thought Naota. _'Well, let's see what he does when I play this card face down,' _He played a single card in the magic and trap zone. The duel disk whirred into action as it generated a hologram on the playing a field; a single face down card, with infinite possibilities in store for the duel. "Next I summon Mystical Elf in Defense Mode!" (800/2000) A blue elf wrapped in a violet cloak appeared on the field. She crouched in a defensive position, ready to intercept any attacks coming her way. "I end my turn." Naota tried to hide his smile. _'Let's see what you do now, Akito.'_

Akito drew his next card dramatically, as if he felt the need to make his movements entertaining. His mind raced with the desire to not only defeat, but also crush Naota. "You won't be getting any mercy from me," he growled. "First I play Junk Heap Generator, a spell card that fills all your empty slots with Junk Metal Tokens. They have 0 attack and defense and can't be sacrificed."

Naota cringed as he saw his field filled with four separate piles of useless trash. He could predict what would happen next, Akito would create a way for his attack to deal damage, and then he would tear through the garbage.

"Next I summon Great Pincer Crab!" (1000/1000) A large metallic crab appeared on Akito's side of the field, snapping its claws wildly. "Every monster on your side of the field loses 500 attack points and my crab gains 500 attack points for every monster on your field!" He announced his creature's effect with all the pride he should feel. The crab drained Naota's already weak monster of 500 attack points, making it even weaker (300/2000) all while its own attack climbed skyward. Now it was even strong enough to take out Naota's Mystical Elf, which was meant to stall. "I activate Fairy Meteor Crush," Akito announced with devilish glee. A meteor crashed to the ground in front of the crab. Akito proceeded to the narration of his Equip Card's effect. "Now my Great Pincer Crab can deal you damage even when it's busy destroying a monster in defense mode. Now go and destroy his token!" The crab lifted the meteor high above his head and spiked it toward s pile of junk. The impact toppled Naota over as smoke clouded his vision. He could hear the sound of his Life Points draining away quickly.

N: 500

"A little word of advice, if you're going to bluff with a face down, don't play a monster with such high defense. Unless they pulled off a decent combo, your opponent wouldn't be able to attack. Make it look like you aren't fearing an attack, like you want them to come at you. Of course, the mind games are endless; you could have been trying to make me think it was a buff, but that clearly wasn't the case." Akito smiled as he delivered his lecture. He was trying to get on Naota's nerves.

The younger boy simply smiled back at him. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"I end my turn." Akito announced.

Naota drew a card, and one of the junk piles exploded. "Did I forget to mention one of those piles will explode each turn and deal you 300 points of damage," Akito teased.

N: 200

"Anyway, you really seem to be mad at me, is this all because I beat your little brother in a duel?" Naota questioned. Akito only growled in frustration. "Anyway, let me return the favor for your advice with some of my own. When you're going to power up a monster like that, make sure it can't turn against you. I once went all out on my opening move; I played a card known as Maha Vailo and equipped it with an Axe of Despair and Malevolent Nuzzler. It had 4250 attack points, but the next turn my friend played Change of Heart and KOed me in one turn- with my own monster." Akito cringed as Naota reached for one of the cards in his hand. "You're just lucky I don't have any cards to take control of your monster with."

Akito's face turned red with anger. "Then what was the point of that little story of yours?" He demanded.

"I just wanted to mess with your mind a bit, before I did this. I summon Giant Soldier of Stone!" (1300/2000) a giant soldier appeared on the field, it was made entirely of stone, just as the name suggested. "Next I switch my Elf to attack mode." Mystical Elf rose to her feet, ready to fight. "Next I activate my face down spell card, Sword and Shield!" With the simple push of a button, his face down card was flipped face up, and its effect kicked into gear. "All monsters will have their attacks switched with their defense."

(Giant Soldier of Stone: 2000/1300 Mystical Elf 2000/300 Great Pincer Crab 1000/3500)

"Mystical Elf, Giant Soldier of Stone, attack!" Naota's giant soldier crushed the crab with his almighty sword of rock, clearing the way for Mystical Elf's charged ball of light to slam into Akito's chest.

A: 1000

"Next I activate Mystic Wok and sacrifice my Mystical Elf to have her attack added to my Life Points!" A giant frying pan appeared beneath the blue elf as she vanished with a scream. Naota cringed for a moment. _'I hate having to use my monsters as sacrifices, but I'm out of options.'_

N: 2200

Akito angrily tore a card from his deck. Only when he saw the card he had drawn did he calm down. "I summon Great Turtle Knight in attack mode. (1000/1600) "For every monster he destroys in battle he gets an extra 500 defense points, and at the end of each battle phase, he switched into defense mode. Next I equip him with Michiru's Trident, which gives the equipped monster 400 extra attack points. (1400/1600) And if it's a water monster, you'll take 400 damage for each monster my card destroys, now go and defeat his Giant Soldier of Stone!" The Turtle Knight somehow stood on two feet dressed in medieval armor without looking like a cartoon character. In fact, with the golden trident in his hand, he looked almost……cool. He slashed through Naota's stone knight and blasted the duelist with a spear of water. The Turtle Knight drew its body into its shell, signaling its switch into defense mode. (1400/2100)

N: 1700

The young boy drew a card, and another junk pile exploded on him, chipping away at his life points even more

N: 1400

He quickly looked over the four cards in his hand, finalizing the plan he had in mind. "I'll remove Mystical Elf from the grave to Special Summon Holy Mystical Elf in attack mode. (800/2000) As long as she is in play in attack mode, I can't take any damage at all. In addition, any battle damage I would receive when she's in a battle is instead added to my Life Points." He pointed at his opponent's only monster. "Attack!"

N: 2700

Akito was beginning to grow tired of this game. "That's it, I'm ending this!" He proudly declared as he drew his next card. "Go ahead and increase your life points all you want, it won't do you any good. I activate The Ancient Flood of Gilgamesh! I have to choose ten water monsters from my deck and remove them from play, and then I win the duel in ten turns!" He smiled, knowing that all he had to do was hold out long enough to win. "Next I sacrifice my Great Turtle Knight to summon Great Kraken Zombie!" (2200/2100) A giant rotting squid rose from the ground, towering over the battlefield, ready to strike. "My Kraken gains 200 attack points for every water monster I have removed from play!" (4200/2100) He could practically taste his victory already; he twitched with delight as images of Naota being expelled flashed in his mind.

"Now, seeing as you probably plan on doing this anyway, why don't I just attack your elf right now?" Akito announced. His Kraken raised its longest tentacle high into the air, slamming it down upon the blue elf.

N: 5100

A far better tactic would have been to attack with his Turtle Knight first and then sacrifice it, but at this point Akito was far too angry to notice; he wasn't thinking straight. "You're going down one way or another, even if you keep healing somehow, my flood will wipe you off this planet for good. And then its bye-bye to this school for you."

Naota just drew his next card, watching as the final pile of garbage exploded.

N: 4800

'_You should finish this soon,' _a voice nagged in the back of his mind. _'You want to be a pro don't you? Well, you can be the best duelist ever and it won't matter if your duels all drag on this long. Pull off something decisive and win this now. You better hurry, before that flood comes along.' _The young boy simply nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry, this was really fun, but I have things I need to do. I summon Assassin of Lies in attack mode." (1000/1700) "When this card enters a battle, the monster battling it has its attack reduced to its original attack points, and any augmentations lost this way go to the Assassin instead. Now go and kill the dead squid." The assassin was garbed in shadows for the split second it appeared, but it wasn't long before it vanished, slicing the Kraken into two halves.

A: 200

Even though he had an advantage after the first turn, Akito was losing badly, and his sanity was fading fast. "You will pay for this," he promised as he reached for his next card.

"Sorry, but I'm not done yet, and you won't need to draw another card, because I'm about to win," Naota promised. "I activate the Spell Card Mystic Aura of a Broken Shield. It lets me sacrifice a monster with more defense points than attack points in order to either regain a 1000 life Points, or deal 500 points of damage to my opponent. Guess which one I pick."

A; 0

Akito's life Points dropped to 0 and he fell to his knees, crying. "Why, why, why, why?" He screamed out into the heavens.

"I think he's losing it," said Hikaru, rushing to the boy's side. "Snap out of it, it was just a duel."

Naota was also concerned for his opponent. "She's right Akito, it was only a duel, and it was a fun one."

Something was wrong. Akito stopped crying, his screams dies down in his chest. Instead, he only stared at the sky with a blank expression, as if nothing mattered at all. Hikaru shook his body, trying to get some sort of reaction. Nothing.

"What's going on?" Naota asked. He was starting to have a very bad feeling about this.

…

Somewhere, a young man watched these events unfolding on screen. "Interesting, I guess the first experiment was a failure then. Akito couldn't handle it at all. Looks like my next test subject will have to be someone stronger then him. But who should I pick?" He clicked a few icons on his laptop, and opened a list of all the students attending Duel Academia. "How about……..you?"


	2. Hikaru's Mystical Aura

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX! **

**Sempai- An older student.**

**Kouhai- A younger student.**

**Author's Note: Insult a certain someone by calling them, a Mary-Sue just for having a legendary deck and you are so dead.**

** Yeah I am such a big fan of Boogiepop, half of this plotline was inspired by the Boogiepop Dual manga, which I do not own.**

…

"Hahahahaha!" His evil laugh rang out through the empty room. "So you couldn't find a good test subject either?" He asked his teammate. "And here you bragged that you'd show me where I went wrong. Well, I guess we're both back to square one."

"Guess again," his teammate sneered. "I've already picked my next victim."

"Is that so, Sousuke?"

…

A girl sat in the nurse's office, reading a light novel. She had long black hair and wore a dark blue cape along with her Obelisk Blue outfit. Her eyes scanned over each page quickly and she flipped through the book with admirable speed. "Has he shown any signs of improvement?" She asked without looking up.

The nurse shook her had sadly as she gave her answer. "I'm sorry Emi; he hasn't gotten any better. If his condition shows no improvement, we may have to fly him off this island and to a better hospital. Are you sure you don't have any idea what could have caused this?"

It was Emi's turn to shake her head sadly. "He just seemed to snap one day, like the pressure was too much for him."

A knock on the door caught both of their attentions. "Please help," cried a voice that Emi recognized as one of her classmates.

"That you, Hikaru?" Emi asked. She put her book down and opened the door. Hikaru and her friend Naota both walked through the door, supporting a third student on their shoulders.

"He challenged me to a duel," Naota explained, "and when the duel was over, he just stood there, doing nothing. We're really worried about him."

"Was he acting strangely during the duel?" Emi asked, wondering if her hunch was correct.

"Yeah," Naota answered. "He wasn't even thinking straight, as if he was going crazy."

"Just like Subaru," Emi whispered under her breath. "What's going on?"

Naota wanted to ask, 'Who is Subaru?' However, something about the look on Emi's face told him that he shouldn't.

…

Second year Obelisk Blue student Sousuke Umino smiled as he knocked on his classmate's door. "Hey Fumiko, you in?" he called out. He quickly flattened a strand of his messy black hair that refused to stay down, trying to make himself look as presentable as possible.

The door swung open, and there stood first year Ra Yellow, Fumiko Kawamoto. She had long brown hair and brown eyes, the kind of plain appearance you could never call beautiful, but still cute in a humble sort of way. She smiled at Sousuke and tilted her head to the side, a natural habit of hers that many dubbed 'cute.' "It's so nice to see you Sousuke-sempai, what brings you here?"

"I saw your duel with Emi last week, you did pretty well." Sousuke said with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, she beat me pretty badly though," Fumiko admitted with chagrin. "Still I don't know why you'd want to talk to me though," she gave him a suspicious look, all while trying to be polite.

"Well, Emi's gotten pretty famous around here. She's beaten several upper classmen already. I really want to duel her, but since you did so well against her, I was hoping I'd be able to duel you as a sort of warm up. Oh, that sounds rude of me, making you sound like the appetizer before the main course."

Fumiko kept smiling, "A warm up huh? Well, I just hope I'm not too hot for you to handle. Let me grab my duel disk and I'll take you on," she said cheerfully.

…

"It was nice meeting you," Naota told Emi politely as he and Hikaru left the nurse's office. "We were just heading to the shop to buy new cards. Want to come with us?" He asked.

"No thanks," Emi declined. "I have things to do."

"Well, hope to see you soon," Hikaru said with a mischievous smile. She quickly turned to Naota. "Race you to the store; loser buys the winner a milkshake at lunch tomorrow!" She took off before he had a chance to object.

"No fair," he protested as he took off after her. "I wasn't ready." Naota had never been very athletic, and he knew he had no chance of catching up with Hikaru. However, that didn't stop him from trying his best.

Hikaru didn't bother looking back; she rushed forward speeding past other students, ignoring the puzzled stares her actions had garnered. The wind rushed through her hair and she smiled. _'I haven't had this much fun in ages,' _she thought to herself. _'I can't remember the last time I raced with Naota like this. We used to do it all the time when we were kids. But its been years….ever since.' _She came to a sudden stop outside the card shop and smiled. "And I always won," she cheered under her breath. "Hey Naota, looks like you still can't keep up with," she turned to look around but found that he wasn't there." She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths. "I'm sure he's alright, he's just taking his time. He probably ran out of breath."

_**(Maybe its love)**_

_**Or just admiration**_

_**(When you smile)**_

Her cellphone played her favorite song, the one reserved for all incoming calls from Naota. She answered quickly; glad to discover her friend was safe. "Sorry Naota, I guess I shouldn't have raced you like that," she apologized. "Are you feeling alright?" The voice on the other end froze her heart.

"Sorry Hikaru-chan, but your precious Naota's a bit occupied at the moment." The voice on the other line was taunting.

"What happened?" Hikaru demanded.

She could somehow tell that whoever was on the other line was smiling. "Let's just say he's in my clutches at the moment. If you want me to let him go, then head to the Obelisk Duel Dome, right now. A friend of mine is waiting there. If you can beat her, then I'll let your friend go."

…

Sousuke hung up the phone and dropped it at the boy's feet. Naota tried to stand up, but he was far too weak. "You are my prisoner," Sousuke taunted, kicking Naota in the side. He looked at his kouhai with cold, uncaring eyes. "And you'll get to watch as our plans unfold."

The word that scared Naota the most in that sentence was our. _'So who else is in on this and just what the hell is going on?' _He tried to calm himself down, but he couldn't help but shake. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. One second he had been chasing after Hikaru, trying his best to keep up with her, the next second he had tripped and blacked out. When he came to he saw Sousuke standing over him and now here he was, trying to get a decent grasp of the situation.

Naota looked up at Sousuke with pleading eyes. "What are you going to do?" He begged his captor.

"I'm going to make my master's dream come true. Even if it means using everyone else as a step ladder so that we can all stand upon the heavens."

…

Hikaru nervously shuffled her feet toward the Obelisk Blue Duel Dome. It made her nervous to think that she had landed herself in the middle of something so big, but she had no choice but to obey the psycho on the phone. She was worried for her friend's sake, and there's no way she'd ever be able to go home if she let anything happen to him. _'I promised his parents I'd take care of him,' _she reminded herself. She almost broke into a run to get there, but decided it would be wiser to use the time to think of a contingency plan should she lose the duel. _'I'd have to call someone for help, but what would they do with Naota? Damn it everyone on this island is going crazy. Well, at least this explains why a certain teacher is pretty much an insane freak.' _She kept a steady pace, making sure that her breathing was even. It would do no good if she were to panic. _'I hope things aren't going to get crazy again just like last time.'_

It was a short walk to the Duel Dome, but it seemed to take forever, with the weight of the upcoming duel weighing on her shoulders heavily, almost crushing her. _'I can't lose; Naota's life is in danger.' _She stood in front of the dome, trembling as she tried to force herself to enter. "I can't let myself lose," she whispered to herself.

"If you're so worried about losing maybe you need more faith in your deck." Said a familiar voice. Hikaru turned to see Emi staring at her with fierce piercing eyes. "You wield the legendary Maho Shoujo Deck do you not? Only one copy of it exists in the world, and it's in your possession. The legacy of those cards rests entirely in your hands. Do them justice and use them well, so all will remember them as a force to be reckoned with." Emi grinned at her classmate. "I've been doing some research and I have a fair idea what's going on. I'll tell you about it later, I believe that you have a duel to win."

"Thanks," Hikaru let out a sigh of relief. Emi's words restored her confidence. "I'll be sure to do that." Hikaru opened the doors and stepped inside the cool air-conditioned building. Emi followed closely behind.

"So you finally made it Hikaru," taunted a girl's voice over the PA system. "I was beginning to grow worried you'd never show up. Of course, that would have been very bad for your boyfriend."

Hikaru growled. "I swear to God when I'm through with you you'll be begging for death."

"Calm down," Emi instructed her. "Do not let her words rattle you. That is exactly what she wishes. She is afraid she cannot win and thus she wishes to handicap you by taking away your inner peace before the duel."

"What are you some kind of yoga instructor?" Hikaru asked.

Emi frowned. "Merely someone who wishes to help."

The two walked down a long empty hall and into the main room of the dome. It was a wide circular space with stadiums built in for crowds to watch. The domes were often used for school tournaments and exam duels, but students were allowed to reserve them for special matches. It was strange that the seats were all empty today. The only people there were Hikaru, Emi, and Fumiko.

"Are you ready to duel?" Fumiko asked Hikaru, grinning wickedly.

Hikaru grabbed her deck and began to shuffle it. She slipped it into her duel disk and drew five cards as her life points rose to 4000. "I'm, ready, are you?"

"I'll go first," Fumiko announced, drawing six cards from her deck. "I summon Bronn Mad King of Dark World!" (1800/400) A fiendish looking purple monster appeared on Fumiko's field, its arms were wrapped in chains and the sleeves of his coat hung at his sides. The creature let out a fierce roar as a holographic card appeared behind it. "I play one card face down and end my turn."

Hikaru drew a card and contemplated the risks in her head before opting to go through with her plan. _'It's still early, best to deal with the situation now and not later. Besides, I could gain a nice lead.' _ She threw a card onto the field with enthusiasm. "I summon Maho Shoujo Emi!" (1200/1100) a young blonde girl in a blue sailor fuku appeared on Hikaru's field, she waved an oak staff as her long blonde hair settled behind her. "Her special effect lets me draw one card whenever she's summoned or special summoned." Hikaru took the next card from her deck and immediately played another card. "Dimension Magic can only be activated when I have a Spellcaster on the field. It lets me sacrifice any monster to special summon a Spellcaster from my hand, so say hello to Maho Shoujo Kimiko!" (1600/1200) A sarcophagus appeared nehind Emi, opening up to drag the girl inside. After a brief second the sarcophagus opened with a flash, revealing a girl with short blue hair, wearing the same sailor fuku as Emi and brandishing a similar staff. "Next I get to destroy any monster on the field!"

Kimiko pointed her staff forward, and a brilliant black flame erupted toward Brron, engulfing he fiend and burning it to ash. The flames continued along their path until the reached Fumiko, engulfing her for a quick second before vanishing into nothingness. Her Life Points dropped down."

F: 3400

"When Kimiko is on the field you take 600 damage every time one of your monsters is destroyed by a spell or trap." Hikaru explained with a grin. "But now its time for the direct attack, go, Kimiko!"

Kimiko flew towards Fumiko at lightning speeds, but her progress was halted when Fumiko's face down card turned upright. "I activate Magic Cylinder to negate your attack and deal you damage equal to your own monsters attack points." Two cylinders appeared on the field, ready to intercept Kimiko's attack. The magical girl let out a burst of flames that one of the cylinders easily caught. Having turned upright just to stop the attack, the first cylinder returned to its resting position while the second set to work. It raised itself upright, firing the flames back at Hikaru.

H: 2400

Hikaru let out a small growl, disappointed to have fallen for the trap. "I end my turn," she said with a frown.

Fumiko drew a card. "I play Premature Burial and pay 800 Life Points to bring back Brron!" (1800/400) "Next I summon Renge Gatekeeper of Dark World in defense mode." (100/2100) a giant creature in metal armor appeared on Fumiko's side of the field. It looked like a giant wall blocking the way to Hikaru's victory, but the young duelist kept smiling. "Tell me, Hikaru," Fumiko said suddenly. "You're in Obelisk Blue and I'm in Ra Yellow. Do you think that makes you a better duelist than me?"

"What!?" The question stunned Hikaru. "No, I don't. In fact right now I can really tell that you're a great duelist. In fact, with Bronn on the field about to attack me, I'm worried that his effect will let you win the duel right here right now."

"Don't lie to me," Fumiko said with a scowl. "Your friend's life is in danger and you aren't worried at all. That might make sense if you were some callous, apathetic fool but you actually care about him. And yet here you are, smiling. It's because you believe you'll win no matter what. You're right, if I can special summon a monster that's strong enough, I can attack you directly. But that's not going to happen sadly. Go, Brron, attack Kimiko!"

The fiend raised its hands above its head and slammed them downward, knocking Kimiko into the ground where she shattered.

(H: 2200)

"Now Bronn's special effect activates, allowing me to discard one card from my hand. Based on what you told me about the situation earlier I surmise you know what this means, right? I discard Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World which allows his effect to activate, special summoning him to the field!" (1600/1300) Another fiend made an appearance on Fumiko's field, but it wasn't standing still. "Attack!" She cried out the second her newest monster had appeared, causing the hologram to charge forwards, striking Hikaru with its weapon.

H: 600

Hikaru smiled nervously s she drew her next card, the confidence Emi had instilled in her was beginning to fade away. Hikaru felt her knees weaken, making it difficult even to stand. She wanted to collapse on the spot and let Emi take over the duel for her. Finally, she gave in and collapsed to the floor.

"What do you want?" She asked Fumiko. Her voice was empty, devoid of emotions.

"I want to be one of the ones standing on the top. When this world is divided between those who succeed and those who fail I won't be standing with the losers." Her ravings were like the ravings of a lunatic, the kind of thing that always seemed laughable when you read about it in manga or watch it on TV, but to Hikaru, who was caught up in the middle of her of things, these words were horrifying.

"Rise to your feet, Hikaru. Don't lose sight of your goal just because the road had been rockier than you imagined. Fight on to your dreams." Her speech sounded rehearsed, like she planned it out ahead of time. It was affected and unnatural. Nevertheless, to Hikaru, they were exactly what she needed to get her second wind going.

"My turn," Hikaru announced as she drew a card. "I summon Maho Shoujo Haruka to the field." (1700/1300) "When I normal summon her I get to add a spell in my grave to my hand. And I pick Dimension Magic!" Haruka had short red hair, and like the other two, she wore the same outfit and wielded a similar staff. "Now here comes the fun part, I attack your Beiige with my Haruka!" The adroit magic user thoroughly destroyed the fiend by bringing down lighting from the heavens, wiping away his existence."

F: 3300

"Next I activate the Quick Play Spell Card Dimension Runes!" Hikaru announced to her opponent. "As long as I have a Spellcaster on my field I can activate this card. It's a lot like Dimension Magic actually. I get to sacrifice any monster on my field to special summon a Spellcaster from my graveyeard. So I'm bringing Emi back!" (1200/1100) The blonde girl made a triumphant return and Hikaru drew a card. "Next I'm allowed to destroy a spell or trap on the field, so say buh-bye to Premature Burial!" Emi sent out a flashing wave of light that crashed into Fumiko's Spell Card, scattering it to the winds. With Premature Burial out of the way, Bronn vanished from the field. "Net I activate Dimension Magic and sacrifice Emi to special summon Maho Shoujo Aki (1100/1400) "And her special effect lets me add a Maho Shoujo in my grave to my hand, so I pick Haruka!" A young girl with short brown hair appeared on the field. She held her oak staff forward and brown autumn leaves shot out, tearing through Renge with ease. "Now attack directly!' Aki fried another round of leaves, this time aimed at Fumiko.

F: 2200

"Big deal, so you've gotten rid of those monsters. I can still swarm you with more of them," Fumiko spoke very coldly, trying her best to convince Hikaru that there was no hope. "I'll tear through whatever you throw my way. I'll show you that life is hopeless."

"Wow, someone's feeling a little nihilistic today," Hikaru teased. "Well, maybe you could use your turn to tear through my cards. I'm throwing a card face down and ending my turn, so why don't we go ahead and see?"

Fumiko grabbed the top card of her deck and smiled. "I activate Card of Safe Return! Now I get to draw a card whenever a monster is special summoned from my graveyard!" Fumiko selected the next card in her hand. "I summon Zure Knight of Dark World. He may not have an effect but his attack makes up for it!" 1800/1500. A fiendish skeleton dressed as a knight appeared on Fumiko's field, brandishing a sharp looking sword. "His attack points are more than enough to end this duel. Now go, attack her Aki!"

Hikaru cried out as she activated her trap. "I activate Maho Shoujo Last Give. I can remove one Maho Shoujo in my grave from play and add its attack to my Life Points. I choose Kimiko!"

Hikaru's Life Points went up and then down again once Zure cut through Aki.

H: 1500

Hikaru drew her next card. "You do realize I win, right?" She said with a smile. "I summon Maho Shoujo Haruka back to the field." (1700/1300) "And I take Dimension Magic back to my hand, I activate it to Special Summon Maho Shoujo Yuki!" (2200/1700) The girl that appeared had long purple hair and cold piercing eyes. Her skirt was just a bit longer than the other girl's and so were her sleeves. She held out her staff. Snow spiraled outward, and three snowflakes sliced through he air, chopping through Zure, clearing the path for a direct attack. Yuki appeared behind Fumiko, striking the duelist with her staff.

Fumiko fell to her knees as the holograms around her vanished. "I lost," she whimpered.

F: 0

The lights went out and the sound of clapping echoed in the darkness. "Good job Hikaru, I'm impressed," said the voice from the phone.


	3. Naota's Test of Growth:Heart's Challenge

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX.**

…

Sousuke held Naota up by the shoulder, gripping tightly to cause the boy unnecessary pain. With the snap of his finger, Sousuke had several spotlights tuned to his position. "How nice to see you here too, Emi. I take it this means you're burying your nose into the Order's business; that is so like you."

Emi frowned. "When I discovered the things the Organization was up to I could not turn a blind eye to the suffering of their past and future victims. I made a decision to do everything in my power to stop you. I may not be able to do it on my own, but I will find others who are willing to help me."

Hikaru was impressed with the theatrics, but she only cared about one thing at the moment. "Give Naota back!" She demanded.

Sousuke simply grunted and flicked Naota towards Hikaru's waiting arms. He fell into her chest, breathing a quiet, "I'm sorry." He tried his best prevent his consciousness from slipping through his fingers, but he soon found his vision fading to black.

"What are you talking about Naota?" Hikaru asked her sleeping friend. She held him tight so that he wouldn't slip down. She then turned to Sousuke and scowled. "Just what are you trying to do? What was up with kidnapping Naota?"

Sousuke smiled as he turned to Emi. "Well, I'm sure you know most of what's going on by now, why don't you clue her in on it?" He sounded like he was playing a game.

"He serves an Organization that's trying to grant a wish," Emi explained. "But to do that, they have to reenact some sort of ritual. I don't know the specifics, but they are apparently in a phase of trial and error at the moment, bending students to their will as practice for the future."

"Bingo," sang Kosuke. "You've pretty much got it nailed. You're right, we are simply practicing now, but we'll soon move on to the next phase of the plan. Once our ritual is complete, the world will bow at our feet." Sousuke laughed villainously. "They'll all be our sacrifices as we rise above the rest of the world."

"Do not for a second think your victory is guaranteed," Emi scolded. "I am sure there are others who have noticed your misdeeds and wish to stop you as well."

"I know I'm in," Hikaru growled angrily. "They hurt Naota and I'll never forgive them."

"I appreciate your help, but I am afraid things won't be as simple as last time," Emi told her simply. "This time will be even more dangerous, and your life may be in danger."

"How do you know about…...?" Hikaru was stunned for a moment, but then she simply grinned. "Of course I'm in," she chuckled. "And as much as I try to convince him otherwise, I bet Naota's going to want in as well." She sighed, knowing her friend's life would be in danger. "I guess I'll have to protect him just like always."

Sousuke laughed. "Well, you might want to be really watchful of him then. The Organization has collected a list of students who would be easy to break, and Naota's near the top of the list. He's also a good duelist so we're saving him for later, when the training wheels come off. He'll be safe for now. But once the pinwheel is set in motion, he'll be in our sights." He should have kept his mouth shut instead of revealing so much, but Sousuke loved watching the look of anger spreading on Hikaru's face like a raging fire, only growing more intense as the seconds passed.

"You bastard," Hikaru growled.

Sousuke laughed, thinking that this was all going to be really fun, and possibly a great way to begin breaking her for later. His eyes soon widened in fear.

Hikaru leapt forward and swung her fist, connecting with Sousuke's cheek. He fell top the ground as blood spilled into his mouth, but he never hit the floor. Hikaru grabbed him by the collar of his school uniform and sank her fist into his gut.

"Aahck," he wailed out an ear-splitting cry of pain as Hikaru practically danced to the beat of her raging fists, striking his body repeatedly like a helpless punching bag. A beautiful combo had him crying out in more pain as she struck him from various angles with punches and kicks that he could barely see. She was about to deal the finishing blow when someone grabbed her wrist from behind.

"I see you've made yourself a powerful enemy, Sousuke," taunted his teammate. "Although I must admit, it seems you did successfully find a good guinea pig. Fumiko was an excellent pawn, and she didn't suffer as badly as Subaru or Akito."

Indeed, even having lost the duel, Fumiko still watched, waiting to see what would happen. "I'm not a pawn," she snarled at him. "I'll show this organization how things are done, and I'll be there with the rest of you, standing on top when the rest of the world goes to hell."

"My apologies," he said politely. He was about to twist Hikaru's arm behind her back, but Emi was soon on the case, grabbing his arm before he could do anything.

"Let go of her now or you shall lose this arm," she warned him.

The boy obeyed with a smile. "Wow, it's a little dark in here," he said, snapping his fingers. The lights turned back on instantly. He tugged at his Obelisk Blue uniform from the side, setting it straight. Instead of sticking his arms in the sleeves of his blazer, he let them dangle at his sides, making sure to never let the blazer slide off. His spiky brown hair made him look a tough warrior, but not as much as his fierce gaze. Hikaru wasn't sure he'd be able to take him on.

"Thanks for the help, Hiroaki," Sousuke said with a forced smile. He turned to Hikaru, "for now we shall part ways, but we will meet again. And when we do I will pay you back for this day." In a flash of light, Hiroaki, Sousuke, and Fumiko had all vanished.

Hikaru let out a sigh of relief as she sank to the floor, allowing Naota's head to rest in her lap. "So what now?" She asked Emi.

"We research their plans and find out what they're up to, and we find others like ourselves to help stop the Organization."

Hikaru simply wanted to sleep for a few days, she was feeling extremely exhausted. "Great, I have a Duel Exam tomorrow," she said with a sigh. "That's why Naota and I were heading to the card shop," she remembered suddenly.

"Do not worry; I am sure you will perform well tomorrow." Emi smiled. "But I think its best we get Naota to the nurse's office, he does not look too well."

…

"So what shall we do now," Hiroaki mused, almost jokingly. "Emi knows what we're up to, and she can easily go to the headmaster. Of course, that's exactly what we want. The thing is, she may know that we want her to do so, and if that's the case she'll probably avoid telling him anything, just to halt our progress."

"She sounds annoying," Fumiko remarked dryly. "Why don't we remove her from the picture?" She smiled at the cold suggestion. "I'd love to get rid of her. She thinks everything she's got planned will work out for her. I want to pound her face in."

"Sousuke, what did you do to her?" Hiroaki asked with curiosity.

"Sousuke showed me that there is no hope in life for the majority of us. Thanks to him I came to realize how futile all my efforts to succeed would become. So thanks to him I'm with you losers, ready to win it all. We just need to crush a few cockroaches in our way first."

"Well, I have an idea that just might be fun," Sousuke grinned slyly. "We can have a little fun with Naota and Hikaru. They have their duel exams tomorrow. So why don't we have Ayanami-sensei arrange a duel between the two of them?"

"And what will that accomplish?" Fumiko scoffed.

"No matter who loses, the other will feel bad about it. They're best friends, but if my calculations are right, they can't duel without straining their hearts. Naota wants to be able to one day surpass his dear friend Hikaru. Hikaru, on the other hand, won't be able to lose to Naota without suffering a huge blow to her self-confidence. She's the one who taught him how to duel, and if Naota is able to surpass her, she'll feel like he's leaving her behind. They both want to become Pro Duelists, and Hikaru is constantly worried that Naota will make it on without her."

Fumiko smiled. "You are so wicked."

…

Hikaru and Naota had both gotten lost of sleep that night, allowing them to get to class fully refreshed the next morning. Everything was going smoothly and soon enough it was time for their duel exams.

Hikaru tapped her fingers on her deck case as Mr. Ayanami begun calling out students names, pairing them up for the duel exams. The Obelisk Dome was packed with students from all three dorms for this week's test, an odd occasion that had everyone a little confused. Osiris reds faced Osiris Reds, Ra Yellows faced other Yellows, that was the flow of things, the order of it all.

"For a special matchup today, we've got an Osiris Red vs an Obelisk Blue. Hikaru Reinhardt, Naota Yamaguchi, you're up." He face twisted into a smug grin when he recognized the confused expressions on both students' faces. "Now, now hurry up, we haven't got all day. When he was a student here many years ago, a certain duelist by the name of Judai regularly beat Obelisk Blues, even though he was only an Osiris Red. Naota, didn't you say he was your idol on your school application? Well, this is your chance to see how you measure up."

Naota smiled upon hearing the name of his idol.

Hikaru and Naota both rose to their feet and walked toward each other. "I never thought I'd be facing you in an Exam Duel," Naota admitted, "but I suppose this is a dramatic way for me to see how much I've improved." He tried to speak as if he had no fear, but in truth, he was shaking inside worse than a tiny palm tree in a violent storm. _'She's the one who taught me how to duel.' _Naota remembered fondly. _'But I have never beaten her. If I can win against her, just once, then I can take that as a sign of my growth.' _He shuffled his deck with shaking hands; the cause was a combination of fear and excitement. He quickly drew six cards. "My move!" He declared boldly, smiling as he looked over the combo he had already drawn. "I activate the spell card Guarding the Gates! I discard one card from my hand to special summon two gate Soldier Tokens in defense mode." (100/1500) Two blonde soldiers appeared on Naota's field, crouching on the ground with spears pointed at Hikaru. They each held a giant shield that was easily twice the size of their bodies. "Next I activate Building a Wall. I take the top monster in my graveyard and remove it from play to increase my Life Points by an amount equal to its defense!" A translucent shield appeared on Naota's field before fading away in a burst of sparkling lights. His Life Points soared upwards and he smiled.

N: 7000

"Next I summon Winged Slicer in defense mode." (1300/1400) Slicer was a proud muscular warrior with short black hair and bright metal armor. He kneeled on the ground with his metal wings wrapped around him like a cloak. He held his sword at his side, ready to strike. "I play one card face down and end my turn." Naota held his last card tightly, knowing that if Hikaru managed to break through his defense, he'd have to make do with a lack of options, but it was okay, he was sure this would work out fine. At least, that's what he tried to force himself to believe.

Hikaru drew her sixth card and began her opening move. "I summon Maho Shoujo Emi!" (1200/1100) "So I get to draw a card from my deck." This was for the benefit of anyone watching, seeing as Naota knew fully well what Emi's effect was. The blonde girl took the field with a smile. Hikaru quickly drew a card and smiled. "Don't you just love it when your favorite combo comes through for you? I activate Dimension Magic!" The familiar sarcophagus swallowed Emi up and replaced her with Hikaru's raven-haired warrior. (1600/1400) A blast of fire erupted from Kimiko's staff threatening to roast Naota's Winged Slicer, but they instead crashed into an invisible barrier.

"I activate Sacred Shield. When you try to destroy one of my monsters with a spell, this card will not only protect it but it will also increase my Life Points by an amount equal to that monster's attack!"

N: 8300

Hikaru smiled. "Looks like I'll have to tear through your monsters the old fashioned way. Maho Shoujo Kimiko, go, attack his Winged Slicer now!" Magical fires sprang forth from Kimiko's staff, hungrily consuming Winged Slicer. Naota's Life Points were untouched, but he was now in a precarious situation. All his extra Life Points would mean nothing if Hikaru swarmed the field with her Maho Shoujo Cards; both duelists knew this knew this fact well.

Naota drew a card and smiled. _'This won't help me win but it will definitely buy me some time.' _He held the card out proudly._ 'Too bad my soldier's defenses can't be altered by spells.'_ "I activate the Field Spell Chorus of Sanctuary!"

Clouds rolled out onto the field and rolled across the field, covering the battleground in magic. "This will raise all defense position monsters defenses by 500 points. Next I play Mystic Elf in defense mode." (800/2500) He had no cards left in his hand, but he was confident he could last a few turns against Hikaru. His blue elf joined his soldiers, forming a formidable barrier between the two duelists. "Hikaru, it's your move now."

"Okay Ta-kun, but I hope you're ready for this." Hikaru smiled as she took her next card from her deck, but inside she was shaking. She wasn't sure she could win. Naota had set things up to stall her for a few turns, and if he assembled the right cards, he could plow through everything she had. Still, she did have more options than he did, so that was a factor in her favor. "I summon Maho Shoujo Shizuka!" (1400/1200) "Her special effect raises all Maho Shoujo's attack points by 300!" (Kimiko- 1900/1400 Shizuka- 1700/1200) "Now destroy his tokens," she ordered.

Shizuka charged forward first, her long white hair trailed behind her as she flew at the token, smashing her staff down onto his head. Kimiko quickly did the same to the other token, leaving Naota with a lonesome monster to protect him.

He shakily drew a card. "My turn!" He smiled. "I summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode!" (1300/2500) The giant soldier plunged his stone sword into the ground as he took a defensive stance; he was prepared to accept any incoming attacks.

Hikaru drew a card and sighed, she was going to have to get a little mean this turn. "I'm really sorry Ta-kun," she called him by his nickname, unaware that this seemingly arbitrary decision was her subconscious' way of keeping things friendly in the middle of a heated duel. "Fist I play Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two." Hikaru sent a few good cards to the graveyard, fully intending to take advantage of them from that location. "Next I throw two cards face down and activate Dimension Runes from my hand. I sacrifice Kimiko to Special Summon Maho Shoujo Yuki from the graveyard." (2200/1700) "Next I use Dimension Runes second effect to destroy your Field Spell Card!" The clouds faded away just as Yuki received her power bonus.

(Giant Soldier of Stone- 1300/2000 Mystic Elf 800/2000 Yuki- 2500)

"Next I activate Miracle Aura Spell! I remove a Spellcaster from my grave and then discard my hand. Next I draw a number of cards from my deck equal to its level. So I remove Touka from play to draw three cards." She threw out the single card in her hand and drew three from the deck, smiling when she realized just how ell this was working out. "Next Touka's effect kicks in, when she's removed from play I can special summon a Maho Shoujo from my deck, so say hello to Maho Shoujo Minako (1800/1500) with short blonde hair took the field and raised her staff towards the sky. "Her special effect lets me Special Summon a Maho Shoujo that's been removed from play, so welcome Touka to the field." (800/300) Shizuka's effect kicked into action, boosting the newcomer's attacks. (Minako- 2100 Touka- 1100) Hikaru smiled as her combo played out brilliantly, but she was far from finished. "I activate Yuki's special effect. By discarding a card from my hand, I'm allowed to remove one monster on the field from play." She slipped another card into the graveyard. "I remove from play my own Touka to activate her special effect." Touka vanished in a stream of light. " I summon Maho Shoujo Keiko!" (1500/1100) "When she's special summoned to the field, I get to destroy one monster on the field. So say good bye to your Giant Soldier of Stone!" Keiko raised her staff into the sky and raised a pillar of ice at the giant's feet. He was engulfed in an icy prison that shattered at the snap of Hikaru's fingers. The Giant Soldier of Stone was nowhere to be seen. Keiko received a quick attack boost (Keiko- 1800) and soon the battle phase was ready to begin. "And since she gains 400 extra attack when battling defense position monsters, go, Keiko, destroy Mystical Elf." Hikaru's request was quickly granted as her Maho Shoujo blasted through the blue elf with ease. "Now attack him directly!"

Naota was knocked over by the simultaneous magic blasts.

N: 4300

He bravely rose to his feet, determined to fight on even after Hikaru's brilliant move. _'I can't give up. The whole point of me attending Duel Academia was to improve my dueling abilities. If I can't even touch Hikaru then I'll never be able to grow strong enough to become a Pro.' _He drew his next card, risking everything on its strength. "I activate Scapegoat!" Naota cheered. Four fluffy creatures appeared on his side of the field, each one a different color. "These little guys will act as my shield for a little while longer." He let out a sigh of relief, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. At this rate, not only would he lose, but he'd receive a horrible grade as well. He hadn't even scratched Hikaru's Life Points at the moment. _'Is she still that far ahead of me? Haven't I closed the gap even the tiniest bit?'_

Hikaru drew a card and smiled. "I summon Magician's Valkyria to my side of the field." (1600/1800) "Next I'll have the rest of my cards destroy your sheep so that Yuki can attack you directly." One by one each of Naota's adorable scapegoats was destroyed, leaving him wide open to receive Yuki's direct attack. The icy chill of was amazingly realistic for a hologram, and the giant snowflake knocked him off his feet."

N: 1800

Naota drew a card and placed it facedown in his Spell and Trap Zone. "I play a face down card and end my turn." He sounded glum, as if he had accepted his defeat.

"I switch all my other monsters besides Keiko to defense mode." She decided to play things cautiously. _'I hope he doesn't have a trap that affects defense position monsters.' _She thought to herself nervously. "Attack him directly!" Keiko unleashed a shower of golden sparks that instantly triggered Naota's trap.

"Go, Dark Mirror Force!" He cried out. Just as he was struck by Hikaru's attack, a wave of darkness washed over Hikaru's field, removing four of her monsters from play and leaving Keiko all alone. (!500/1100) "I summon my other Magician's Valkyria and end my turn," she announced to him. (1600/1800) "While she's on the field you can attack any other Spellcasters."

Naota gambled once more on the turn of a card, hoping he'd be able to turn this all around. But he knew it wasn't likely, he didn't have many powerful attackers in his deck. "I play Reinforcement of the Citadel." He announced, knowing that his next two cards could either win it or lose it for him. I can look at the top two cards of my deck, and if they're monsters I get to Special Summon them. If not they go to the graveyard." He prayed they would be good cards. _'Unfortunately, they get played in defense mode, and I can't switch them to attack.' _He looked at the top two cards of his deck and allowed a look of pure joy to wash over his face. "I special Summon Grave Stalker and Total Defense Shogun in Defense Mode!" (300/ 1900 1550/2500) "Gravestalker's Special effect lets me pick a monster in your grave and special summon it to my side of the field in attack or defense mode, so I pick Maho Shoujo Emi!" (1200/1100) A black mass of ooze reached into Hikaru's grave to retrieve her monster and carry it to Naota's side of the field. "Now I draw a card thanks to Emi's effect." He smiled again. "I activate Sword and Shield to swap every monsters attack with their defense!"

(Emi- 1100/1200 Gravestalker 1900/300 Total Defense Shogun 2500/1550 Magician's Valkyria 1800/1600 Keiko 1100/1500)

"Total Defense Shogun's effect lets him attack even when in defense mode, so I'll let him take care of Valkyria!" The heavily armed warrior rushed toward his helpless opponent, slashing through her with one of his many swords.

H: 3300

"Now Emi, attack her Keiko!" The two magic girls exchanged attacks, and both were destroyed and sent to the grave. "I end my turn and the effects of Sword and Shield wear off."

Hikaru drew a card and frowned. "I activate my facedown card Judgment of Heart! For every Maho Shoujo Card I have removed from play, you take 200 damage, and currently, I have five." Five beams of light surrounded Naota and pierced his body, dropping him to his knees.

N: 800

"That was a nice move you pulled off last turn, maybe with a little more time you could have turned this duel around long enough to beat me." She tried to be as friendly as possible when she said that, but her words still stung Naota's heart. "I summon Maho Shoujo Chiyo." 1000/1000. "Her special effect lets me take a spell from my deck and add it to my hand. I pick Mystical Aura Radiation. It lets me activate a trap in my graveyard as long as I have a Maho Shoujo on the field. So say hello to another round of Judgment of Heart!" Five spears of light pierced Naota's body.

N: 0

"You win again." He whispered.

"Excellent duel, Hikaru," the teacher admitted. He seemed much more pleased then usual. "No matter what he threw at you, you were able to counter splendidly. That is why you are an Obelisk Blue." He turned to Naota with a scowl on his face. "As for you, perhaps if you paid a little more attention in class, you wouldn't do so horribly."

…

"Wow," Sousuke laughed when Ayamani-sensei delivered the play by play. "I was expecting Naota to lose, but I had no idea he'd be trounced that badly. I suppose now would be a good time to plant the seeds of depression in him, I can take care of that. As for you Fumiko, why don't you take care of Hikaru as a way of getting revenge. I'm sure she isn't too thrilled with herself for crushing her best friend's hopes."

"You two get on that," said Hiroaki. "I've got my eyes set on a new target."

…

**Author's Note: More about Hikaru and Naota's pasts will be revealed at a later time.**


	4. Lost in the Garden

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX.

I'd also like to thank Tsukiyomaru for lending me the use of Ryou. Err; I don't think he came out quite right.

…

Hikaru tossed and turned in her bed. Her dream was really starting to get to her. Memories of her childhood played out happily in her mind, but she couldn't help but feel the sadness left behind.

_Two twelve-year-old children faced each other in a heated duel. "I summon Giant Soldier of Stone in attack mode!" Naota called out. One of his favorite monsters appeared on the field, curled in the fetal position. It slowly rose to its feet, too noble to rush its actions for the sake of others. Naota smiled brightly. "I activate Shield and Sword to flip the attack and defense points of every monster!" (Giant Soldier of Stone: 2000/1300!) "Next I switch my Millennium Shield to attack mode. (3000/0) "Go, Giant Soldier of Stone, attack her Shizuka!" (1700/2200.) The mighty stone warrior slowly made its way towards the tiny girl in a sailor fuku. It cast an ominous shadow over the field like a colossal giant ready to slaughter a helpless villager._

_Hikaru laughed joyfully. "You're so bad at this, Naota. I activate the spell card Dimension Magic! I sacrifice my Shizuka to special summon Maho Shoujo Keiko! Her effect let's me destroy a monster when special summoned, and when I combine that with Dimension Magic's effect, that lets me destroy two monsters!" The young girl names Keiko held out her staff. An eruption of light engulfed the Shield and the Giant. When the light vanished, so did the monsters. "Now my Maho Shoujo Kimiko activates her effect, dealing you 1200 points of damage."_

N: 0

_The young boy collapsed on his knees, defeated and demoralized. "I was sure I could win this time."_

_Hikaru grinned at her friend. "Maybe one day you'll be good enough to beat me, if you keep practicing. Of course, at this rate, that won't be for a gazillion years."_

_Naota smiled. "Don't worry, I promise. One of these days, I'll be good enough to beat you. And that's when I'll know that I've gotten stronger. After all, we can't go pro together if I can't win at least once."_

"_Okay, deal. And when you finally beat me, I'll give you this." Hikaru held up her favorite card._

The teenager woke up in her bed. Sunlight streamed in through the window, gushing in like an endless river of light. She grabbed a pillow from under her head and pressed it over her eyes, trying to block out the rest of the world. _'I can't believe it. Naota just wants to try to get better and I keep crushing him. I hope he's not taking this too hard.' _She looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "I'm skipping class today.

…

The sun was high above Academia Island and students everywhere were buzzing with excitement. Questions such as, 'So are you going to the party?' received answers like, 'Of course I am! Everyone is!'

Naota tried to force an enthusiastic smile to show his classmates, but his heart wasn't into it. He quietly sank into his seat and waited for the lecture to begin.

"Settle down class, I know you're all excited about Emi's Duel Party, but that isn't until tonight. Until then you've got your studies to focus on." Ms. Kinomoto's soothing voice washed over the students like a gentle stream. Everyone seemed to settle down instantly, as if entranced by her words.

Naota turned his head up so he could watch the teacher's lecture, but his mind was too out of focus to make any sense of it. While he was supposed to be taking notes on probability, he instead let his defeat replay in his mind.

_In a flash of light, five glowing beams of energy as bright as the sun formed around Naota. They aimed themselves steady for a moment, and then rushed in with blinding speed, like a flock of hungry birds converging on their prey. They pierced his body quickly, and dropped his Life Points to 0 with ease._

"Is everything alright, Yamaguchi-kun?" The teacher's voice brought him back to reality. The taste of warm blood lingered on his tongue. The young boy quickly hid his hand behind his back. He couldn't believe he'd done that in public. A small bead of blood trickled down his hand.

"Sorry. I'm fine," he lied. He set aside all other thoughts and focused on the lesson. _'Just work on the problem and I'll forget everything else.'_

Another problem soon replaced the one on the board, in turn another followed. Naota mindlessly took notes until the lesson was over. He was satisfied with letting the day pass by in a daze. _'I wonder if that party is going to be as great as everyone says it will be.'_

With his brain on autopilot, he didn't have to wait that long for an answer.

…

"I'm glad you could make it," Emi called out to Naota. "Hikaru's waiting for you in the corner. She said she had something to tell you." Emi didn't stay to chat. She darted after another guest, making sure to greet them all.

Naota shyly dodged the glances of all the students looking his way, and he tried desperately to block out their whispers.

"Hey isn't that that Naota kid." "

Yeah, he's an Osiris red but he's supposedly pretty good, some people thought he might be the next Judai."

"Guess they were wrong, huh?"

"Yeah, he dueled that girl Hikaru, and she crushed him."

"But she is pretty good."

"Not really. I beat her easily enough."

Naota gave a sad smile. _'I can't even keep up with Hikaru and she's still got some competition ahead of her. Will we ever make it to the pro league?' _He tried to push all doubts out of his mind, but that wasn't working.

"Hey Naota, how are you?" Hikaru spoke before Naota had a chance to say anything.

"I'm doing well," he lied. She wasn't buying it.

"Listen, I'm sorry about the duel. I shouldn't have been so aggressive." Her words tumbled out of her mouth awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it," Naota said with a smile. "I'd never forgive you if you went easy on me. Besides, this just means I need to practice harder."

Hikaru started to smile, but was interrupted by a rude grunt of dismay. A familiar looking foe stepped toward the duo. "What do you want, Fumiko?" Snarled Hikaru.

"Oh puh-lease. I saw that duel you had with your boyfriend. You trounced him and enjoyed it. He didn't stand a chance against you. Every move he made was in vain. He kept increasing his Life Points and you delighted in tearing through them. You're much better than he is and you know it. Not only that, but you enjoy it. You're so wrapped up in your fantasies of going pro that you can't stand the thought that Naota might be better than you one day, so you're glad to see that day isn't today."

"Shut up," Hikaru hissed.

As if one enemy wasn't enough, Sousuke found his way into the conversation. "Yep, it's all true. I may not have been there to watch, but I heard about the while thing." He shot Naota a smug grin. "You thought you had improved enough to stand a chance against Hikaru, but she crushed you without dropping a sweat."

Before the taunting could go any farther, Emi's microphone amplified voice filled the room. "Okay everyone, I'd like to thank you for coming to my duel party. I organized this event in the hopes that you'd all take the time to get to know your fellow duelists. So enjoy the food and snacks, but most of all have fun dueling each other."

The audience erupted into a unified cheer. Some students quickly sought out opponents to duel while others piled their plates high with food. "Wow, even the Obelisk Blue cafeteria doesn't have food this good."

Sousuke and Fumiko both smiled. "We have business here, so we're off."

They left Naota and Hikaru with sick feelings in both of their stomachs.

…

"Go Jinzo, attack him directly!"

"I activate Mirror Force!"

"I summon the Dark Magician!"

Despite the duels going on left and right, Emi couldn't help but find herself distracted by her friend Ryou. "Come on Ryou, I organized this party so you could make some friends."

The boy had white hair and Emerald eyes. He dressed in a black long sleeve shirt with a white jacket that reached down to his ankles and his wrists, as if he was so lonely he had picked an outfit to shield him completely from the outside world.

"But I don't know any of these people," he protested.

"That's the point of this party!" Emi said teasingly. "Okay, I wonder who I could introduce you to. I've made some new friends. There's this girl named Hikaru. She's good. Just don't hesitate to attack her just because she has a card with the same name as me."

"…"

"It was a joke. Laugh damn it."

"It wasn't funny. Not even close."

"Yes it was, now don't argue!"

Ryou smiled at Emi's frustration.

Emi smiled back at him. "Well, anyway, we need to find you an opponent soon."

At that moment, one of the other students cleared his throat. "I'd be glad to be Ryou's duel partner. I've heard a lot about his skills, and I want to see if the rumors are true."

"How long have you been standing there, Hiroaki?" Emi let out a sigh. "I should have known you'd show up here. Listen, if you want a duel, I'd be glad to pummel you, but don't you dare try anything fishy."

"What's the matter Emi?" Ryou asked. "Is he someone you know?"

"Yes, he's a complete ass who likes to make others miserable." Emi's tone contained none of the usual theatrics she reserved for the situation. She was clearly pissed. "Don't pay any attention to this cretin."

"Oh I'm hurt," joked Hiroaki. "Here I thought this was a party where students would be able to duel each other, and you're saying I can't join in on the fun."

Ryou was actually starting to smile. "Thanks for the concern, Emi, but he doesn't seem so tough. I think I can handle him. "He shuffled his deck. Hiroaki mimicked the motion.

"It's time to duel."

…

Ryou had built a reputation as one of the school's finest duelists, so naturally a crowd had gathered the second the duel began. _'Perfect,' _thought Hiroaki. _'This kid thinks that everyone is always judging him, waiting for him to fall. A crowd is the perfect weapon to use against his will. All I have to do is get them to cheer fro me, even of only a little.'_

"My move," Ryou announced. "I set one card in defense mode and play another card face down. Then I end my turn." Nothing eventful happened on his opening move, but the bystanders were still captivated by the mystery his facedowns held.

"My turn!" Grunted Hiroaki. "I summon Spear Dragon in attack mode!" (1900/0) "I attack your facedown monster!" He hid his smile from the audience. "When my monster destroys defense mode monsters on the field, he can deal piercing damage!"

"I activate the trap card Rose Flame!" Ryou announced. "And you flip my Ivy Wall!" (300/1200) "Ivy Wall's effect activates, summoning an Ivy Token to your field, thus triggering my Rose Flame's effect. Whenever a Plant monster is special summoned to your side of the field, you take 500 damage!" A small plant appeared on Hiroaki's side of the field, with two branches stretched out like arms a third branch reaching upwards.

Spear Dragon tore through the thick plants that covered Ryou's side of the field, but could do nothing to stop the fiery rose petals that launched themselves at Hiroaki. Both duelists took a hit to their Life Points.

R: 3300 H: 3500

"My turn?" Ryou asked with a smile.

"Sure," answered Hiroaki. "But first, my dragon switches to defense mode." The Dragon curled up into a tight ball. "Now why don't you give your fans a show, if you think you're up for it."

'_Fans?' _Wondered Ryou. "I summon Night Rose Knight!" (1000/1000) A cute warrior appeared on Ryou's field. It had blue hair and wore black armor. "As long as my Knight is on the field you can't attack any of my plants. Next, I use my Knight's special effect to Special Summon a Plant from my hand! I pick Lonefire Blossom!" (500/1400) A golden plant with purple leaves burst forth from the ground. "Once per turn I can sacrifice a plant on my side of the field to Special Summon one from the deck, so I get rid of my Blossom to Special Summon Giga Plant to the field!" (2400/1200) A ferocious plant like creature rose from the ground. It opened its moth to reveal several rows of sharp teeth. "So now I'll have my two monsters attack your two monsters. And when Ivy Token is destroyed, you take 300 Points of damage!"

Ryou's plants tore through Hiroaki's defense.

H: 3200

"Let me guess," Hiroaki said with a grin. "Next turn you're going to Gemini Summon your Gigaplant and use him to revive your Lonefire Blossom. Then you'll be able to use its effect again. Well, it's my turn now," Hiroaki drew a card. "And I'm not going to let you do that." He drew a card. "I activate Fragrance Strom to destroy your plant and then draw one more card!"

Gigaplant began to wilt, slowly turning into a brown husk and withering away. "Next I summon Destroyer Knight and attack your Rose Knight!" (1700/1200) A blonde warrior clad in shining black armor appeared on Hiroaki's field. She held a blood red sword in her hands. She charged toward the Rose Knight and chopped it in two with ease. "Now her Special Effect let's me destroy one Spell or Trap on your field, so say good bye to Rose Flame."

Destroyer Knight chopped through Ryou's trap card, leaving his field completely empty.

"Wow, this guy is good."

"Think he can beat Ryou?"

'_I knew it. They don't think anything of me. They're just waiting for someone better to come along and take my place.'_

R: 2600

"I play one card face down and end my turn!" Hiroaki announced.

Ryou drew his next card. "I summon Botanical Lion!" (1600/2000) Ryou's monster resembled a lion with wood for a body and pink flower petals for a mane. "He gets 300 extra attack points for each Plant on my side of the field." (1900/2000) "Attack his Destroyer Knight!"

"I pay 1000 Life Points to activate Wall of Wilting!" An iron gate covered in thick brown vines appeared on Hiroaki's field. "This card negates any attack launched by a Plant against me. In addition, half of that Plant's attack points come out of your Life Points and go to me!"

R: 1650 H: 3150

"Wow, he's completely shut down Ryou's deck."

"Looks like he's got this all under control."

Ryou tried not to let the words get to him, but his greatest fear was coming true. _'Every time I duel, they always cheer for me, but that isn't because they like me, it's because I was winning. The second someone better comes along, they all start cheering for him.'_

Emi balled her hands into fists. "Dang it, Ryou. Don't let this creep beat you!"

Hikaru and Naota joined in from somewhere in the sea of spectators. "Yeah, you can do it!"  
Ryou smiled.

"Your move, Hiroaki."

"I summon Magnetic Knight!" (1600/1500) "As long as he's on the field you have to attack him with your monsters. You can't even skip your battle phase. I end my turn."

Ryou drew his trump card.

"Are you forgetting that I have more than just plants in my deck? I summon Mia!" (200/200) And I discard a card from my hand to take control of your Destroyer Knight! Next I activate the Field Spell Black Garden!" Thick vines ensnared the field, cutting the two duelists off from the spectators. "Then I tune my Mia to my Botanical Lion to Synchro Summon Rose Knight Mia!" A cute white kitten appeared on the field before she and Botanical Lion both turned into glowing stars. "_Seduce with the sweet trap! Reveal the feelings that cannot be expressed by mere words! Synchro Summon, Bloom and sing, Rose Knight Mia!" _A purple cat humanoid appeared on Ryou's field, with ears like a bunnies and a sword that shone beautifully. Vines from the garden quickly wrapped themselves around the cat, halving her attack. (1150/2000) Next, a Rose Token (800/800) appeared on Hiroaki's field. It was all going according to Ryou's plan. "Mia's effect activates, allowing me to take control of your Magnet Knight!" Ryou smiled. "Go, Destroyer Knight, attack his Rose Token!" The Knight cleaved the flower in two, and then proceeded to tear the wall of vines in half with his word. "With his special effect I can destroy your Wall of Wilting and then attack your directly with the rest of my forces."

Mia and Magnet Knight ran at Hiroaki's together, dashing in from opposite sides and slicing his Life Points to 0.

H: 0

The villainous duelist only smiled. He began to applaud as the hologram of the garden faded away. "I guess you are worthy of your reputation after all." He slowly walked away, not bothering to watch what Ryou's reaction would be. He was confident he'd planted the seeds.

"Wow, Ryou still managed to win."

"Of course he did, he's the best."

The crowd was cheering for him once more, but for how long?

"Way to go," Emi congratulated him. "I was worried he'd try to get to you with some freaky mind games, but I guess you beat him before he got a chance."

Ryou forced a smile. "Yeah, I beat him." But Emi was wrong. Hiroaki had gotten to him; badly.


	5. FeuerPrinzessin

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX. Oh and last chapter I forgot to mention that I don't own .hack and some of the names of the cards were based off .hack characters. I also don't own any of the anime series mentioned.

Author's Note: I apologize of I messed up with the yen. Also, I hope nobody is offended by the fangirl joke…I was trying to think of a decent way to mention the duelists ages.

…

The party had passed by in a flash and the students all went back to their dorms to rest. They didn't have much time to recuperate the next day, because another activity was on their minds. They were eager to watch the long waited match up between two of the worlds most popular Professional Duelists, Maxwell and Ashton.

"Thanks for inviting us to your dorm room, Emi," Hikaru spoke with a smile. "Naota and I were planning on watching the duel with just the two of us, but it's always more fun with more people."

Naota tried to say something, but he was left in awe and shock the second he stepped into Emi's room. A giant flat screen TV hugged the wall tightly. Enormous speakers stood at its sides, stretching toward the ceiling. In the corner, manga volumes spilled off a shelf resting beneath dozens of anime posters that decorated the wall. Countless CLAMP series, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, InuYasha and numerous others rested on top of each other in a desperate attempt to get them to fit. Another shelf standing at its side held dozens of DVD box sets of the anime versions of her favorite manga. Dozens of anime plushies littered her bed, resting on the soft pink sheets. In the opposite side of the room, three laptops rested on top of a sturdy looking table.

"I think I'm in love with this room," he said. Drool ran down the side of his mouth.

"Very funny, Naota." Hikaru said with a shrug. "Wow, your family must be rich if you can afford all this." Hikaru had to admit, it was impressive.

"Yeah, my parents are both authors, and my grandmother was a famous singer before she died. She left us a bunch of money, and combined with my parents' income I've got more money than I can spend." Emi grabbed a handful of cheddar-flavored chips from a porcelain bowl. "Anyway, I've got tons of leftovers from last night, so help yourselves." She sat down on the plush red sofa that faced the TV. "I invited a few other friends, but I'm not too sure who else is going to show up. So make sure you get a good seat now."

"Well, they better get here soon," Hikaru said excitedly. "The show starts in a few minutes."

Hikaru and Naota sat down at Emi's side and began waiting. They munched on chips while watching the end of some ridiculous Sci-Fi horror movie about an Alien Ostrich that tried to destroy the Earth. The special task force apprehended the evil bird with an overly complicated plan and a series of flashy explosions that served no purpose at all. A few more students joined them in time to comment on the movie's stupidity, but all was soon forgotten when the program started. Thirteen students squeezed into the room. Some sat on the couch, others on the bed, and a few chose to stand.

"Glad you could make it," Emi said to Ryou.

"Attention everybody! This is it, the long awaited duel between Pro Duelists Ashton Eichel and Maxwell Andreadis!" The announcer's voice washed over the field of spectators and amplified the crowd's excitement. Everyone cheered for their favorite, coming up with chants for their idols.

"Maxwell's got this one won," said one of the students watching from Emi's room. "He's got way more experience, and his deck is better rounded. He'll be able to handle anything Ashton throws out." She nodded in agreement with herself.

"Take that back!" Roared Hikaru. "Maxwell doesn't stand a chance against Ashton! He's the greatest duelist since Yugi Mutou and Judai Yuki! Ashton's deck is much better than Maxwell's will ever be! I bet that Maxwell will be down before he can even get started." Hikaru's voice exceeded the speeds of normal human hearing.

Luckily, her rival in this debate had exceptional listening abilities. "Wow, don't be such a fangirl. I just said that I think Maxwell is the better duelist, no need to be offended. Ashton's been at it for a few years, sure, but he hasn't gone up against anyone with much of a reputation. Maxwell's faced off against some of the top names in the dueling world. Hell, he once even gave Jun Manjoume a run for his money."

Hikaru growled in annoyance, but settled down. "Well, I still say that Ashton's going to win. In fact, I'm willing to bet you 3000 yen he wins."

"You're on," the girl responded with a smile.

…

There were a few other duels to sit through before the main event could begin, but nobody complained. They were all exciting in their own right, and everyone knew that the main event would be worth it. Once the duel was ready to begin, Ashton and Maxwell bowed to each other before shuffling their decks.

Both duelists were very popular. Ashton was only 21 so a lot of his fandom consisted of teenage girls going hormonally crazy over him. Maxwell was in his late 30's but he still looked young enough to suffer the same fate. Naturally, thousands of those teenage girls managed to show up at the stadium to scream their lungs off for their favorite.

"I've been looking forward to our match," said Ashton. "I hope I don't disappoint you." He had curly blonde hair and wore a red polo shirt with blue jeans. Silver chains dangled from his pants on either side of him, and a black jacket hang from his neck like a cape.

"No need to be so humble," Maxwell said with a cunning smile. "I'm sure you won't do too poorly." He had spiky black hair and wore a simple leather jacket. It was a classic look for duelists to use, but he still pulled it off without looking like a random generic Pro. "So, may I have the pleasure of going first?"

"Why, of course," Ashton answered with a smile.

"Well, now that formalities are over, I'm afraid I'm going to have top kick your rump." Maxwell drew six cards and threw two of them face down. "I play two cards face down and summon Marauding Captain in attack mode!" (1200/400) A soldier dressed in silver armor descended onto Maxwell's field. He held two swords at his side and waited patiently on the field, making sure not to let any possible enemy attacks break through his guard. "His special effect lets me Special Summon a level four or lower monster from my hand." He quickly selected the card he wanted. "I pick Command Knight! (1200/1900) Her effect boosts the attack of all my warriors by 400 points!" It was a popular combo for Warrior type users, but a powerful one. "In addition, as long as my Captain is on the field, you can't attack any of my other warrior monsters! I end my turn!"

Ashton grinned brightly. "Wow, I love that combo. It's one of my favorites to use when I use Warrior Types." He acted as if it was no big deal. "Of course, it doesn't do much now, but I bet you've got another Marauding Captain waiting to take the field so you can use both their effects together and stop me from attacking." He reached for the top card of his deck and drew it with dramatic flair. "Let's go! I summon Fire Princess in Defense Mode!" (1300/1500) A mysterious girl in a beautiful red cloak raised a thick wooden staff above her head. "Next I activate spell Absorption! Now for every spell either of us activates, I'll gain 500 Life Points. In addition, Fire Princesses effect will deal you 500 Points if damage! Next, I throw one card face down. Afterwards I activate Goblin Thief!" A fat green goblin appeared behind Maxwell and slammed a sack of stolen goods down onto his head. "First you take 500 Damage and I gain 500 Life Points! Next Fire Princesses effect kicks in and burns away 500 more of your Life Points!" She slammed her staff into the ground, causing a small explosion to rock the battlefield. A few stray embers landed on Maxwell, draining his Life Points.

M: 2500 A: 5000

"My turn," Maxwell called out with a thundering force in his voice. "I summon a second Marauding Captain and use his effect to Special Summon a second Command Knight." With two Command Knights on the field, his monster's attacks all soared to 2000. "I end my turn." He was being cautious of Ashton's facedown. _'I'll probably be able to get rid of that soon, and then I'll be able to attack him with all my forces.'_

"You know, I've studied you," Ashton said with a grin. "I knew you'd be cautious against my facedown cards. Sorry to say, but you could have easily won the duel had you attacked. I activate my Trap Card, Bad Reaction to Simochi! Now any card that would heal you instead deals you damage! So then I activate Rain of Mercy, which raises both of our Life Points by 1000, however, this triggers the effects of Bad Reaction to Simochi, Spell absorption, and Fire Princess _twice_!"

Rain drizzled down on the duelists. Fire Princess shook off the water and raised her staff, hurling a glowing fireball at Maxwell.

M: 500 A: 6500

"Now I think I'll end this quickly. I activate Upstart Goblin! I get to draw one card in exchange for giving you 1000 Life Points! This of course activates my Trap Card's effect!" Ashton watched as strands of energy took the shape of claws and slowly scratched away at the rest of Maxwell's Life Points."

"And it looks like Ashton's won!" Cheered the announcer. "He drew his trump cards early in the match to pull off a victory by his second turn."

…

"Damn it," said the girl as she pulled 3000 yen out of her wallet. "I wasn't expecting Ashton to pull out his Fire Princess and Bad Reaction to Simochi so early in the duel. I guess that just goes to show that luck has an important role in the duel."

Hikaru smiled as she took the money, quickly kissing it before stuffing it away. "I told you Ashton would win! One day he's going to be the best in the league."

Naota smiled at his friend. "So, I guess this makes you the happiest person in the world right now, doesn't it?"

"Sure does," Hikaru said with a grin.

…

"That was an impressive duel today," said Ashton's manager, Mr. Takashi. "Although the fans were left wanting more." He sat down at a booth in some fancy restaurant, quickly taking a menu from a waitress dressed like a cute French maid.

"I considered holding back," Ashton admitted. "But that would be cheating them out of seeing the best I had to offer, so I couldn't do that to them."

"That's the spirit; I was hoping you would say that." His manager smiled back. "Now about the reason I called you here. Duel Academia is hosting a tournament soon, and they've invited you to participate."

"Duel Academia, huh? It's been a while since I've been there." He took a sip of his ice water. "Sure, I'd love to participate. What kind of tournament is it?"

Mr. Takahashi smiled. "I'll contact them right away."

…

Hikaru walked Naota to the Osiris Red Dorm.

They had both been feeling down lately, but watching Ashton win is duel had been enough to renew their faith in themselves. "Wow, that duel was awesome," Naota said in disbelief. He was still having trouble accepting the events as real. "Do you think we'll ever be that good one day?"

"We just need to practice," Hikaru replied. "I'm sure we can do it. After all, we made a promise, right? We said that one day we'd both go Pro together. Then you'd become so famous that everyone across the world would know your name, and I'd be able to duel against Ashton."

Naota was feeling a little sleepy, so he leaned against Hikaru's shoulder as they walked.

They had no idea that someone was watching them, plotting an attack.

…

**Author's Note: Shaky transitions and what not, ach…I'm not too proud of this. Ehh, sorry it was so short. I was running out of stuff to write. **


	6. Rain Rain Go Away

Disclaimer: I still don't own this series. I never will. Also, many of Nayuta's cards and lines are references to song titles and lyrics that I don't own. I do not own them.

Author's Notes: If I ever mention a character names Haseo, please let me know. That's a typo; it's _supposed_ to say Ryou. And gah, **too many similes.** Oh and last chapters plotting an attack thing doesn't refer to an immediate attack, but one that will come eventually.

…

In the middle of a crowd centered in the Obelisk Duel Dome stood an Obelisk Blue and a Ra Yellow, currently engaged in a battle.

"I summon Cloudian Turbulence!" (800/0) The second year Ra Yellow narrated. He quickly adjusted his glasses, making sure they wouldn't fall off. He flicked his bangs to the side, and smiled at his opponent. Grey eyes peeked out from behind his auburn hair, glaring at his opponent with enough ferocity to make the poor first year Obelisk Blue shiver like a kitten in a storm. "He gets one Fog Counter for every Cloudian I have on the field. I have three, which means three counters, which each boost my Cloudian Nimbusman's attack farther!" The ferocious cloud received a 500 attack point boost for every fog counter on the field, and thanks to some skillful playing there were now ten counters on the field, boosting Nimbusman's attack Points by 5000. (6000/1000)

"Sora, Sora!" The crowd erupted into cheers.

"Attack his Ojama Token!" The gigantic cloud monster raised its thick muscular arm, like child preparing to crush a helpless bug beneath his hand. Thanks to the combination of Sora's Final Attack Orders and Heart of Clear Water, the Ojama Token he had handed his opponent was now both immortal and stuck in attack mode, making the tiny token a giant target for any attack.

He watched his opponent's Life Points drop from 1600 to 0 in a swift instant.

"Sora, Sora!" The crowd continued to chant his name like he was a hero.

But not everyone in the crowd was thrilled.

"This guy disgusts me," grunted the girl standing next to Naota. "He's so full of himself. I don't care how good he is, he's just rude." She had short brown hair with two yellow ribbons tied in. Her blazer was yellow, just like her ribbons. Watching Sora win his duel had put her in a foul mood and plastered a frown on her face.

Naota turned to her and suddenly let out a gasp of surprise. "Nayuta! I haven't seen you since the entrance exams!" He exclaimed joyously. It had been the first time they met, but he sounded so excited you'd think he was greeting a childhood friend after years of absence.

"Hey Naota, I didn't notice you standing there," she admitted with an embarrassed grin. "I really need to start paying more attention." She let out a small laugh. "I was wondering when I'd see you again." She wiped her frown away in favor of a smile.

"So how have you been?" Naota asked, curious to see what the girl had been doing.

"I've been busy trying to keep up with my classes here and a few classes on the internet as back up, in case I can't make it to Pro." Nayuta's grin morphed into a sad stare.

"I bet you don't have to worry about that." Naota stretched his arms out and let his hands rest comfortably behind his head. I saw how well you did in the entrance exams. I'm sure you'll make it to the Pros once you graduate."

Students around them chatted away, talking about different things. Their voices mingled in the air like a swarm of buzzing bees. It produced a sound like a rough hum, and it made it hard for the two teenagers to hear each other. Nayuta drew close in an effort to remedy this.

"Thanks," she answered. Her stare grew into a smile, like a flower blooming in the sunlight. "I hope we can both go Pro together."

"Hey, speaking of future Pros, I should introduce you to my friend Hikaru. She's the," before he could continue, Nayuta's voice drowned out his.

"Oh my God, you're friends with Hikaru Reinhardt? She's amazing! I love her; you have got to introduce us!" Her voice sped up like a car hitting the free way.

"She'll be here soon," Naota admitted. He began breathing slowly and nervously. Nayuta was so close; he could feel her breath gently grazing his face like a warm breeze running through the fields. He could smell the traces her strawberry shampoo clinging to her hair. He felt his face go warm; he blushed, painting his face red.

"Sorry," Nayuta apologized, "I guess I tend to worship the people I look up to."

"It's okay; she does the same thing with Ashton Eichel." Naota smiled as he reflected on all the memories of Hikaru going crazy over the Pro Duelist. "I kind of do it too, sometimes." He admitted half-heartedly.

"Well, Ashton is pretty awesome. Did you see what he did to Maxwell? His Fire Princess Deck incinerated the dude in a matter of seconds. I hope I can play like that some day." She crossed her arms and gave a confident smile.

She quickly came crashing down when Sora decided to slither into the conversation like a snake. "You both suck." He told them flatly. "And I'm only saying that because you two should really give up your chances of going Pro. Only a few people have that talent, and it comes from years of practice and natural talent combined. You two can practice all you want but you don't have the talent." His words wove their way into Naota and Nayuta's hearts. Naota began to shake as his confidence suddenly drained away like someone yanked the plug in his heart. Nayuta threw her arms down to her side and stomped her foot.

She glared at Sora like she was ready to kill. "Who are you to say that? Like you're any better. I swear, if you duel me right now I will sing you an elegy once we're done!"

"No thanks," scoffed Sora. "I have friends to meet." He strutted away, drawing the attention of everyone in the dome. Their eyes clung to him like metal to a magnet. He bumped Naota's shoulder, knocking the boy to the floor. "You should just drop out now. I've seen you. You won't amount to anything. Life is short, don't waste it chasing a dream you'll never achieve."

Naota bit his lip and fought back the tears.

"Sora you asshole, duel me now you coward!" Nayuta's words never made it to Sora. They just sailed through the air, like birds soaring through an empty sky. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, and fought back the anger.

They both stood there in silence for a few minutes, as still as stone. Their hearts drummed loudly in their chests. "Naota, don't listen to him." Nayuta told her friend. "He doesn't know anything." Her voice quivered like a hungry animal unable to hold still, writing impatiently to pounce on its prey. "He's an idiot; he has no clue what it takes to be a Pro."

Naota relaxed a little. Seeing him ease up, Nayuta followed suit. "So, maybe we should get out of here," she suggested. "It's way too crowded for my tastes."

Naota's shoulders dropped, releasing all the tension he held. "Hey I think I see Hikaru," he waved enthusiastically. "Hey Hikaru, over here!"

Hearing a call from her friend, Hikaru swiftly forced her way through the crowds. "Dang it, why is it so crowded?" She asked. She pulled up to the Osiris Red and Ra Yellow.

"Sora Torino just dueled someone so everyone's still pumped up about it." Naota explained.

"Sora? I've heard of him, they say he's good. Was he?" Hikaru responded.

The fangirlism in Nayuta swelled up for a moment, but she restrained herself. "He's okay, but nowhere near as good as you." Nayuta bowed at her friend's friend. "It's nice to meet you, I've seen some of your duels, and you're amazing. I really look up to you!"

"Thanks," Hikaru replied shyly. "But I'm not that great." She began fanning herself. "I know a few duelists I can't beat."

"Well, I'm rooting for you," Nayuta added. "I'm sure one day you'll be able to beat the rest of the school, and then you'll go Pro."

"Well, that is the plan. The going Pro part at least." Hikaru admitted. "Anyway I'm sorry; I don't even know your name."

"Sorry, I'm Nayuta Amachi." She said with a smile.

"Oh my," Hikaru and Naota both gasped.

Hikaru went first. "Naota told me he met a girl named Nayuta I should have known it was you. You fit the description perfectly. But," she paused, "are you by any chance related to the Lunatic Princess?"

"That's what I want to know," Naota added.

Nayuta gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, she's my big sister. I really look up to her."

"She's one of the best duelists in this school!" Hikaru exclaimed. "How can you look up to me when you've got a sister like that?"

"Well, I like your style. Its fun to watch you. Being a Pro isn't just about dueling; it's about turning a game into an art form. There's just something about your style that I like to watch."

"I see," Hikaru lied. She was completely stumped.

For the first time since Hikaru got there, Naota smelled the fresh mud on her shoes. It was still wet. "Were you out exploring?" He asked suddenly.

"I almost forgot!" Hikaru said with the snap of her fingers. "I found this cave that some students were talking about. They say that there are duel spirits inside. It's probably just a lie but it sounds like it could be fun. Want to come with us, Nayuta?"

"Sure I'd love to go. I've got nothing better to do right now." Nayuta's voice sang like a bird.

So the three friends set off.

…

Naota and Hikaru had always enjoyed tales of the supernatural. The occult side of Duel Monsters fascinated them both, and they had loved the stories about Duel Spirits that seemed to travel across the world. Before making it into the school, they both agreed to go searching for Duel Spirits if they ever got the chance. Naota could barely contain his excitement.

"Calm down," Hikaru spoke with a grin, "the cave isn't going anywhere."

Naota was shivering with excitement, as if his favorite duelists were about to go head to head in a free-for-all. "Sorry, I'm just so excited right now."

They walked through the forest. Trees towered high above them, stretching toward the sky like Babylonian wonders. Outstretched branches blotted out the sun, casting a dark shade over the traveler's path. The strong smell of rotten fruit snaked through the air. Naota had to pinch his nose to protect his sensitive stomach. The chirps of wild birds echoed through the air like a melancholy chorus. The entire area gave of a vibe of, 'I am forbidden land, get the Hell out.'

"I don't think I've ever been in this forest before," Naota admitted.

"Well, not many people have a reason to come here, look there it is." Hikaru pointed ahead to the side of the mountain. A small opening shaped like a mouth invited the duelists inside. Naota sprinted ahead like a runner with the finish line in sight. Hikaru and Nayuta quickly chased after him.

A loud high-pitched shriek like an off pitch siren wail erupted from the cave. "Owww, Naota, my ears," complained Hikaru. "That hurt."

Naota quivered on the ground as a human male in futuristic silver armor stood over him, brandishing a large black _Kris_, a sword with a curvy blade.

Hikaru walked over to the monster and kicked the ground, flinging dirt everywhere. "It's just a hologram," she explained. She pointed to the Duel Disk on the ground. "Someone must have dropped their Duel Disk here." She paused for a minute. "Does anyone hear that?"

The sound of footsteps echoed outside, steadily drawing closer.

"Don't worry," a voice reassured them. "It's just us." Emi stepped into the cave, followed by Ryou. "We heard the rumors of a Duel Spirit and decided to investigate. We didn't expect to see you here." Emi spoke slowly and calmly, as if planning what to do next. "I stand corrected, it isn't just us; someone else is approaching."

The entire group waited for a moment, but it wasn't long before Sora stepped through the cave opening. "Huh? It looks like someone else is already here. Sorry, I didn't know this was the where the loser brigade was meeting." He eyed the Duel Disk at Hikaru's feet, smiling as he recognized the hologram coming out of it. "So the others were right, that card is here. Well, looks like the Organization will be pleased with me. Now, if you'll please hand over the card."

Emi shuffled her deck quickly. "I do not know what it is the Organization wants with that card, but I refuse to hand it over. Furthermore, I would like a word with you."

Sora shuffled his deck with a grin. "Looks like I'll be taking that card the hard way," he boasted. "It doesn't matter; I always have fun crushing the weak."

Before Emi could do anything, Nayuta got in her way. "I don't know what this Organization is, but I've been waiting for a chance to duel this guy." She got her deck ready. "Bring it on; I'll be humming my victory theme before long."

…

Sora drew six cards. "My turn." He said calmly. "I play one card face down and summon Cloudian Altus!" (1300/0) Clouds gathered on his field, taking the form of a fat cloud. "He gets one Fog Counter for each Cloudian I have on the field, including himself. Next I play the Spell Card Cloudian Squall!" Sora threw the card down with flair. "Your move, Nayuta!"

Nayuta grinned. _'His Cloudian monsters all benefit from having Fog Counters on the field. Some need the counters on themselves, others can use the counters from anywhere on the field. His Squall will generate counters on all face up monsters, even mine, which means that I need to take care of it quickly. Of course, his facedown could be a deadly trap.' _She drew her next card. "Rain, rain, go away!" She sang out playfully. "I summon Velonica Scientist! Now every monster on my side of the field with the word Velonica listed in its effect will be granted 200 extra attack points for every other card on my field with Velonica in its text!" She smiled when she saw the confusion on Sora's face. Velonica cards did tend to have oddly worded effects. A puddle of water formed on her field, and quickly took the shape of a young woman with long black hair. She wore thick glasses and a white lab coat, but she still looked cute. "Next I equip her with the Equip Spell Crimson Oath! Any monster equipped with this card can't be destroyed in battle. In addition, if the equipped monster has the word Velonica written in its text, it can't be destroyed by Spells, Traps, or Monster Effects." The Scientist's attack jumped up to 1900. "Attack Sora's cloud!"

"I activate the Trap Card Spirit Barrier!" Sora cried. "As long as I have a monster on my side of the field, I take no damage in battle. In addition, most of the Cloudian Monsters in my deck can't be destroyed in battle."

Velonica Scientist threw a small green potion at Cloudian Altus. It exploded like a bomb but nothing seemed to have changed once the thick smoke blew away. "Your attack does nothing. My Life Points are untouched, and my Cloudian is unharmed." Sora let out a small laugh. "See, it's futile for you to fight. You don't have what it takes to be a great duelist. I've seen you in battle, and you're like a little kid, using strategies that seem powerful but they aren't anything special. You don't have what it takes to become a Pro." He waited for Nayuta to do something. "My turn? Draw!" He tore a card from the top of his deck. "Cloudian Squall gives each of our monsters a new Fog Counter! That brings the total to three. I could use Altus' effect to remove three Fog Counters from anywhere on the field and force you to discard a random card, but I think I'll save those counters for now." What seemed like pointless bragging was just his way of messing with Nayuta's head.

She quickly looked over the cards in her hand, wondering if she'd be forced to discard any in the near future. _'Maybe I should hurry and use them before they get sent to the grave.' _The many decisions were quickly pecking at her mind like a ravenous murder of crows. _'Or I could just put them facedown and hope he doesn't use anything to destroy them.' _

"A duel between two duelists is all about predicting the others moves. With a Cloudian Deck, I've got so many possibilities available to me. I can pile on the Fog Counters and use them to my advantage. If you aren't careful, I could blow you away with their powers. With all those possibilities to keep track of, can you really stay one step ahead and prepare for the storm to come?"

"Lame pun," scolded Nayuta.

"Like you're one to talk!" Sora's cocky façade came to a screeching halt. "What with all your damn music jokes." He was obviously enraged.

"See, you aren't the only one who can mess with an opponent's head." Nayuta grinned. "Shut up and duel, Sora. Whatever you throw my way, I'll be ready." Nayuta regained her nerves and shook up Sora's all in a few seconds.

"Fine, I summon Cloudian Cirrostratus!" (900/0) Clouds gathered, taking the form of a cute puffball with arms and whiskers. "He gets a Fog Counter for every Cloudian on the field! I can remove two counters from him to destroy any monster on the field."

Nayuta realized that she would have to be careful before summoning any other monsters. _'Not only will they be vulnerable to his Cirrostratus, they'll just end up accumulating Fog Counters.' _

"I place one card facedown and end my turn." He smirked as he listened to the mechanical whirring of the hologram springing to life.

Nayuta went next. _'Damn it, we're in a stalemate so far.' _She quickly grabbed her card. "I summon Velonica Gunner!" (1900/1200) A puddle of water appeared and took the shape of a short silver woman in a kimono. She held two pistols at the side of her body. "Once per turn I can use her effect by giving up one card in my deck with the word Velonica in its text. Then I can destroy any card on your side of the field!" Nayuta ran through the possibilities in her head. "I send one card from my deck to the grave and destroy your Spirit Barrier!" Velonica Gunner took aim and unleashed a stream of bullets into the magic barrier, removing it from the field. "Next I play one card face down and have my Scientist and Gunner attack your Cirrostratus!"

"Go, Dimensional Prison, remove her Scientist from play!" Sora watched as a dark light enveloped the Scientist before vanishing along with its captive. Gunner's attack dropped back to 1900 just as its gun fired a bullet through Cirrostratus. The bullet flew through the cloud before falling to the ground.

S: 3000

"Your turn," announced Nayuta.

Sora drew, and watched as a great wind howled through the cave. "That means all the monsters here get an extra Fog Counter. First, I'll use Altus' effect. I'll take away one Counter from every monster on the field to force you to discard the card on the far right of your hand."

Nayuta sent the card to her graveyard with a grunt of displeasure. "Next I remove two counters from Cirrostratus to destroy your Gunner." Clouds quickly blanketed Nayuta's side of the field. When a strong wind blew them away, Velonica Gunner was nowhere to be seen. "Next I sacrifice my Cirrostratus to summon Cloudian Nimbusman!" (1000/1000) Clouds joined with Cirrostratus as he quickly grew into the feared Nimbusman. "He gets a Fog Counter for every Water Monster used to summon him. In addition, he gets a power boost for every Fog Counter on the field." His attack soared up to 2500/ "Now I'll have both monsters attack your directly!"

Altus went first, blowing a powerful gust of wind at Nayuta that dropped her Life Points down to 2700. Nimbusman went next, slamming his hand downward and dropping her Life Points to critical conditions.

N: 200

"Your move, unless you want to give up." Sora giggled.

Nayuta just smiled. "I'd be an embarrassment to my sister if I did that." She drew a card. I activate my facedown card, Dtecno Force! I can either return a monster to my hand, or special summon a Velonica card in my grave. So say hello to Velonica Magician." Anther puddle of water took shape, this time as a blonde magician dressed in dark blue robes. (1600/1400) I sent her to the grave with Gunner's effect. Next I use her effect to special summon Gunner from the grave." (1900/1200) Blue runes appeared on the ground and lit up like a Christmas Display. In a flash of blue light, Gunner reappeared on the field. "I activate her effect to destroy your Nimbusman!" A single shot was all it took to disperse the cloud. "Next I activate the Spell Card Okkusenman, which boosts one monster's attack by 1000 until the turn ends. If that card has the word Velonica in its text, than it gets 100 extra attack points times its level. So I'm boosting my Gunner's attack!" Nayuta's monsters both attacked. Magician unleashed a stream of water that engulfed Gunner's bullets, and the attacks struck together. "Your move."

S: 700

Sora grunted as he drew a card. "Ha-ha, the card I drew is the Trap, Updraft!" He revealed it to Nayuta. "It's all over. Next turn I'll activate it and remove all the Fog Counters from the field. Then you'll take 300 damage for each one." He set the card facedown. "It doesn't matter what you do, I've won." He began trying to rub it in. "I told you don't have any real talent. Go ahead Nayu-chan, your move."

Nayuta laughed. "Don't count me just yet." She drew.

"Go, Updraft!" Cried Sora. A fierce wind blew upwards from the bottom of the cave. "It's all over now!"

Nayuta smiled. "Really? I have to disagree." She threw two cards into the Duel Disk. "I activate the Quick Play Spell cards Silly-Go-Round and Far and Away! First, my Far and Away activates, discarding one card from the top of my deck to the grave. Then I pick one card on your field to return to the bottom of your deck. Say G-O-O-D Bye to your Cloudian!" Altus was quickly blown away. "Next, my Silly-Go-Round takes effect, and it returns all other cards on my side of the field to my hand!" Both of her Velonica monsters were quickly whisked away. "Next I can special summon one monster in my deck whose level was equal or less than the number of cards I returned. So say hello to Velonica Ninja!" (500/300) A small ninja garbed in blue took the field. "Next she gets 100 extra attack points for every card I returned to my hand with the word Velonica in its text!" Velonica threw a shuriken at Sora, which quickly cut his Life Points to nothing.

All the holograms vanished, and Sora fell to his knees, stunned.

Emi opened her mouth. "The words of the Organization are not to be trusted. They pride themselves in saying things that toy with people's insecurities. I've been watching you Sora, and I think I know what happened. You were an enthusiastic duelist, like most of us. But you began questioning your own talent after losing a duel against the Organization. They convinced you that everything was hopeless, so you joined them. Though I am not entirely sure what the group's motives are, I cannot approve of the method. Join us now and we can work together to defeat them."

Sora just laughed. "Go ahead and enjoy this victory you fools. I'm only one member of the Organization. Sure, I may have lost, but we will win this war. We will have everything we ever desired." In a flash of light, he was gone.

…

"So why don't you just go to the Headmaster?" Nayuta asked Emi.

Emi had just given Nayuta a quick rundown of the situation.

"We don't want to get more people involved then necessary. If the Headmaster acknowledges their existence, they'll use that to their advantage in recruiting members."

"I don't really understand it all, but I'm going to help you fight." Nayuta jumped on the bandwagon without a second thought.

"You do realize it will be dangerous, right?" asked Ryou.

Nayuta smiled. "Of course it will be dangerous. But I can't stand the thought of what they're doing. Playing with people's wills until they break. That just sounds, wrong."

Naota smiled as the girl let out a gleeful laugh. She bent over and grabbed the card from the Duel Disk. "Millennium Knight?" She read it over. "Well, you found it so I guess its your card." Nayuta handed it over to Hikaru.

"Well, we should turn it in to see if anyone claims it first." She suggested. "I just hope those Organization creeps don't go after it. If no one claims it, I say we give it to Naota. After all, it fits his deck really well."

"Thanks, Hikaru," he said with a smile.

Emi turned to everyone. "Perhaps we should return to school now." Everyone nodded in agreement. Emi lead the way through the forest with the others in tow.

Nayuta hummed a happy tune as she walked, and Naota blushed as he watched her from behind.

Hikaru turned to her friend and smiled. "You know, when you first told me about her I couldn't believe it, but she really does look a lot like Yuu."

"Yeah," Naota agreed. "She does."

…

Sousuke, Fumiko, and Hiroaki sat at a table. "So, he failed to get the card," sighed Hiroaki. The room was dark, and the only light came from a small lamp in the corner.

"It doesn't matter; it wasn't the one we were after anyway." Fumiko countered.

"That's not the point," explained Sousuke. "What if it had been the card? Now we've got another duelist in our way. If things keep going badly, the Organization is going to have to bring out the big guns."

"Think Kai will get involved?" Fumiko asked.

"It would be fun to watch if he did," Hiroaki admitted.


	7. Erosion of Will

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX

…

"Looks like this is over," Naota cried out as dramatically as possible. He let out an evil laugh that sounded like a kitten trying to intimidate a Rottweiler three times its size. "I summon…crap what was I supposed to do again?" He gave an embarrassed grin as he turned to his teacher.

She smiled back at him. "Don't worry this is what rehearsals are for." She assured him. Mrs. Kino was the head of the drama department and the teacher of the acting class. Could have easily been a movie star. Bright red lips, a slender figure, long silky brown hair, and a healthy dose of talent. "You're supposed to use your Mystical Space Typhoon to take out the far left card. After that, you summon Gene Warped Warwolf and use it to attack her Gemini Elf."

"Oh right," Naota remembered the moves. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!" His acting was a little forced. His attempts to sound like the evil villain he was playing all failed horribly.

Nayuta was trying hard to stay in character and not laugh.

Dueling was a popular past time in the world, and like any popular pass time, fictionalized depictions of it would pop up in every media. There were video games about dueling, plays about it, even manga, novels, and movies. Duel Academia decided to acknowledge the existence of duel related acting careers in the form of acting classes. It was currently one of the most popular electives in the school.

Students who wanted to be actors were taking them of course, but they weren't the only ones. Students like Naota who wanted to be Pro Duelists saw the classes as a way to learn about pleasing the crowd. After all, being a good duelist meant nothing in the Pro Leagues if you weren't fun to watch.

"I activate Mirror Force," Nayuta called out. She suppressed a fit of giggles and managed to let out a whimper. _'This is awesome. The first day of acting class and I get to be partnered with Naota.' _She wanted to smile, but her character was in a desperate situation. She was dueling with her life on the line. "I won't let you beat me, Rai!" She boasted proudly.

Naota was having fun. He couldn't help but enjoy the duel, even if it was scripted. "I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit. By giving up 1000 Life Points I negate your trap, Nayu, I mean, Alicia!"

The students in the audience moaned at Naota's fumble. "Mrs. Kino. Maybe you should let someone else take over for Naota." One of the students suggested. Third-Year Obelisk Blue, Daisuke Shoda. "He obviously has no talent whatsoever." He had short brown hair and a muscular build.

Daisuke smiled when he saw Naota's reaction. The Osiris Red's shoulders drew closer to his body. Daisuke had managed to intimidate him.

"Now, now, Shoda-san," Mrs. Kino scolded. "Naota just needs a little practice. I'm sure he'll be able to get better if we give him some time."

Naota relaxed a little, but Daisuke's words had already made an impact.  
_'Whittle away at his confidence little by little,' _thought Daisuke. _'The words will and up and the poor camel's back will break soon enough.'_

…

Emi and Ryou sat in the school cafeteria, eating ice cream. It was a free period for them both.

Emi let out a long sigh as she turned to Ryou. "I still haven't found out anything new about the Organization, except that they're growing in numbers. It seems that they're getting much better at breaking people."

"So what kind of research have you been doing?" Ryou asked his friend.

"Dueling various members, beating them for information, listening to their wangst about how much life sucks. Apparently they think the Organization will solve all their problems and make all their dreams come true faster than they ever could."

Ryou licked his dark chocolate ice cream cone, savoring the bittersweet taste as it melted on his tongue. "That makes sense based on what we've heard before. They insult a person's skills, and try to strip away all their hope. I guess some people are really easy to break."

"Which is why I'm worried about Naota." Emi admitted. "I've looked into his past, and he seems like he's just ready to crumble. On top of that, the Organization seems to be actively targeting both him and Hikaru." She looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly, and the birds were singing happily, just like any other day. "It's so creepy. The island seems so happy right now, despite all that's going on underneath the covers. Just like everyone we know."

Ryou joined in on the bird watching.

…

Naota smiled at Nayuta as they walked toward their respective classes. They'd have to part eventually, but they had each other's company for now. "You were amazing." Naota told her. "I wish I could act as well as you could."

"I've had lots of practice playing make-believe with my brother and sister when we were little," she explained. "We used to have this one game where we had to work together to save the Spirit world from an alien invasion. We played for hours on end. It was really fun."

"My friends and I used to do the same thing, I was just never good at the acting," Naota admitted sadly.

"Well, maybe you just need a little more confidence. Be so self-aware. Just feel what you need to feel then go from there." Nayuta was aware that she was making this up off the top of her head, but it seemed like appropriate advice.

Naota paused for a moment as he stared at her face.

"Something wrong?" She asked.

He snapped out of his trance and blushed. "No, I was just thinking about my test next period. I'm not sure I'm ready for it."

"Don't worry; I'm sure you'll do fine. G-O-O-D luck!" She waved bye as she skipped off. "Looks like we part here. See you soon."

Naota waved back as she vanished into the distance.

"I have to ask, do you like her or does she remind you of Yuu that much?" Asked a voice.

"Hikaru, I didn't see you there." Naota put on an innocent smile. "So, are you ready for the test?" He asked. He was obviously trying to dodge the question, but she wasn't buying it.

"DO you like Nayuta or not?" Hikaru demanded. She grinned mischievously, wondering if she'd have a chance to meddle in her best friend's love life.

"I barely know here that well," Naota explained. "She's just a friend; who happens to remind me of another friend."

Hikaru began to regret asking once she saw the look in Naota's eyes. _'Damn it, I have got to stop doing this.' _She thought to herself. Both students stepped into the classroom at the same time.

Hikaru was hit by the overwhelming smell of chocolate. Apparently, most of the class was so worried about the test that they went out and bought good luck candy. _'Damn it they should have just studied, not like I'm any better about studying.'_

The two friends quickly took their seats and waited for class to begin.

Once all the students had arrived, Mr. Ayanami began tests out to the students. "Now before you all get started, let me remind you that the first quarter is nearly over and this test will count for nearly half your grade. If for any reason you need extra credit once this is all over, I will be waiting to duel you after class. I'll be using my weaker deck and anyone who can beat me will get a hundred point of extra credit."

Naota immediately began considering the option. _'Gah, I have no clue what to do,' _he thought to himself. He could feel his throat getting dry and his heart beating faster. _'I don't know what these cards do.'_

"You might as well just hand that test in blank." Teased a voice from behind. It was a soft whisper, so only a handful of student's could hear. "You know you have a horrible memory, so there's no way you could remember all these card effects and then figure out what to do."

'_Shut up, Daisuke,' _Naota thought to himself. He would have said something, but he didn't want the teacher to accuse him of cheating. _'Darn it, he's right though. I have no idea what the answers are. I'd be better off just going for the extra credit.'_

Daisuke grinned. _'I bet I've got him already. My goal was to make him think he'd fail the test and insure that he challenges Mr. Ayanami. Judging by his posture, he's so tense that he's probably already realized he'll fail.'_

The clock kept ticking by, as each second faded away. Naota looked at the time. He had five minutes left. He was starting to hyperventilate. The pressure was becoming too much for him. His vision faded to black.

"Oh my God," Hikaru sprang to her feet in time to dash to Naota's side and catch him before he hit the ground."Naota, are you okay?" She cried. She shook his body but didn't get a response. "Mr. Ayanami, my test is on my desk. I'll take Naota to the nurse's." She struggled to lift her friend up but found herself unable.

"Calm down, Ms. Reinhardt, I'll phone the nurse and she can send someone over." Mr. Ayanami faked his concern so well; you'd think he was head of the drama department. The phone beeped as he dialed the number. He told the nurse to send someone over and then hung up.

Hikaru could barely handle the anxiety. Her stomach felt like it was housing a live animal trying to claw its way out. "Please be okay," she whispered.

"Don't worry, he just fainted from the stress," the teacher told her. "He'll be okay."

"I hope so."

…

Naota's eyes fluttered open as he woke up in the nurse's office. He raised an arm to shield the sunlight that fell in through the blinds on the window. He let out a grunt as Hikaru squeezed him tight. "What happened?" He asked. His memories were as foggy as a dream he's been woken from too early.

"You fainted in class," Nayuta explained. "From what I hear Hikaru was worried sick about you. She skipped all her classes for the rest of the day and stayed with you the whole time. The rest of us just got here." She motioned to Emi, Ryou, and Mr. Ayanami.

Naota bit back his disgust. _'What's he doing here? I know he doesn't like me.'_

"Thanks goodness you're okay," said the teacher. He faked sincerity so well that he'd impressed even himself. Like a spider weaving his web, he had a juicy fly in sight. "I was so worried when I saw you faint in class."

"Well, I'm better now," Naota lied. Everything was still a little hazy. He rubbed his head to ease the pain. "I just need to get to class. How long was I out of it?"

"Long enough that all your classes are over for the day." Emi answered. She motioned to a stack of paper resting on a chair. "We got your work for you. Don't worry about it too much though. The nurse says you should take it easy for a day or two."

"I'm fine," he lied again. "I just need to make up for that test I bombed. He turned to Mr. Ayanami. "You said we could duel you for extra credit."

"Well, yes," he replied, appearing flustered. "But I don't think it's such a wise idea for you to be dueling so soon."

Naota sprang to his feet and reached for his Duel Disk. "I'm always up for a duel," he insisted. "Let's get started. Who goes first?"

"Well, I suppose that would be you," Mr. Ayanami said.

Emi paused for a moment. "Naota, I _really_ don't think this is a good idea."

Naota just ignored the comment and smiled. "My turn, draw!" He yanked the top card off his deck. "I summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode and play two cards face down." (1300/2000) "Your move."

"Very well. I summon Gene Warped Warwolf in attack mode." A two-legged werewolf with gray fur appeared on the teacher's field. (2000/100) "I equip him with Big Bang Shot, which boosts his attack by 400 and gives him the ability to deal piercing damage." A flaming spear fell from the sky and plunged into the ground. Warwolf gripped it with two hands and pulled it out with ease. "Go and attack his Stone Soldier.

The mighty stone giant stood his ground. "Go!" Naota ordered. "I activate my two trap cards, Scrap Iron Scarecrow and the permanent trap card Metal Wall!" A scarecrow made of scrap parts appeared on the field, and blocked the rampaging werewolf, knocking it into a steel wall. "Scar-Iron Scarecrow can negate one attack and then gets set back facedown. In addition. Metal Wall deals you 500 Points of damage every time I negate one of your attacks."

"So once per turn when I attack, you'll not only negate one of my attacks but deal me 500 Points of damage as a result," Ayanami surmised. "Sounds like a great combo to stall for time. I hope you make good use of this time. For now, I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Naota drew his next card with enthusiasm. "Don't worry; I've got things under control. I set one card facedown and activate Toll! It's a Continuous Spell Card that prevents players from attacking without first paying 500 Life Points."

Ayanami smiled like a teacher who was truly proud of his student. In truth, he just wanted to make sure that Naota got a bad grade and began questioning his skills.

"I summon Mystical Elf in defense mode and end my turn."

The Blue Elf appeared on Naota's side of the field, standing next to the stone soldier.

'_How does he always get those two so early?' _Wondered Ayanami. Pushing the trivial questions out of his head, he focused his mind on his goal, crushing Naota. "I draw." He skipped his Spell Card into the Duel Disk. I activate Cosmic Flare!" An image of the sun appeared on the field. Its flames leaped and dance like passionate ballet dancers weaving a story of destruction. "This card negates the effects of all Spells and Traps on your side of the field for one turn, and deals you 300 damage for each one." The sun exploded, and a furious supernova tore through the arena, washing over Naota's facedowns and knocking him off his feet. His butt hit the cold tile floor hard. He felt a sharp pain travel up his spine, but he brushed it off.

N: 2800

"Next I summon the monster card Insect Dragon!" (1900/200) A large Preying Mantis appeared on Ayanami's side of the field. Its four bat wings stretched out and filled the room. Shining silver armor protected its green body, though its low defense seemed to indicate otherwise. Blood stained scythes replaced the creature's arms, making it loom almost threatening. "Once per turn I can choose an insect in my deck and send it to the grave to boost his attack by 400 Points. In addition, he can deal piercing damage!" A card slipped out of his deck, which the teacher gladly sent to the grave. (2300/200) "Go now, off with his Elf's head!" It was a sadistic order that the Mantis was happy to obey. It swung its scythe like arms and lopped off the Elf's head like he was harvesting crops on a farm. Mystical Elf exploded and took Naota's Life Points down with it.

N: 2500

"Now my Warwolf attacks." Gene Warped Warwolf charged forward recklessly and rammed his spear through Giant Soldier of Stone. Cracks spread out of the injury and the monster shattered. Flames erupted from the spear and washed over Naota.

N: 2100

"Spells and Traps help your deck be strong, but they alone can't do all the work." Mr. Ayanami explained. "You use them to back up monsters and make them stronger, so that the monsters can help fight. It's now your move."

Naota grimaced as he drew a card. _'I need the extra credit, let this be a good card,' _he prayed. A smile broke out on his face. He entered drama mode with flair. Striking a pose, he began to recite. "Destiny knows no fear. Fate shows no mercy. Light and darkness bend. Intertwine into the cosmos that usher in a new reality! Time trembles in its wake. Go Spell Card, Twilight Barrier!" Two pillars erupted on either side of him, surging into the sky, pulsating with power. One was as bright as the sun and the other was darker than a starless night. The two twisted and turned, merging into a single pillar that slowly came to a halt. A brilliant explosion of energy rocked the battlefield, and it left behind a single monster. A floating shield. (0/3000) Naota smiled. "Twilight Barrier lets me Special Summon one monster from my deck each turn, with a few conditions of course. Using its effect prevents me from normal summoning this turn. And the monster I Special Summoned is sent to the grave during my next standby-phase."

"All that speech just for one special summon?" Mr. Ayanami asked.

"No, not just for a Special Summon. I'm removing my Millennium Shield from play to Special Summon a monster from my hand. Mugen Angel!" (?/?) An angel with long blonde hair descended on the field. Her blue dress sparkled in the light. "Her attack and defense are equal to the monster that was offered as a sacrifice. But here's the best part. When she's summoned, all your monsters are switched to attack mode, and they have to attack her next turn, if they're able. So, now it's your move."

The teacher drew. "I activate my Insect Dragon's effect once more. Now that I have enough monster in my grave, I'm removing two insects to Special Summon Doom Dozer." A giant red and black centipede stormed onto the field, thrashing about angrily like a fish yanked from the sea. (2800/2600) "Now here's the best part of my move. I normal summon Master of the Forest!" A large stag beetle dressed in futuristic combat armor appeared. Guns were strapped to its waist next to a pair of swords. A rifle hung from his back. (1600/1500) "While this card is on the field, all my Insects, Warriors, and Beast Warriors gain a 400 point attack bonus. However, I guess that isn't enough though, considering you've got that Scrap-Iron Scarecrow on the field. Therefore, I'll have to activate Warfare of the Ants! This Spellcard gives all level 4 and lower Insects 500 extra attack points for this turn!"

Master of the Forest - 2400/1500

Insect Dragon – 3100/200

Doom Dozer- 3200/2600

Gene Warped Warwolf – 2800/100

"Go, Doom Dozer, crush his Angel!"

"Activate trap, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" The centipede charged forward until a metal scarecrow appeared and knocked the it off course into a metal wall.

A: 2500

"Insect Dragon, slice that angel to bits!" The Insect took to the sky, flying with its devilish wings. T swooped down from high and sliced the angel in half.

N: 2000 A: 2000

"Now go, Gene Warped Warwolf, your move!" The wolf galloped forth, leaping in a zig-zag motion. It pounded its chest with its four arms and let out a roar. With one furious sweep of its claw, it chopped at Naota.

"Go Totem Pole!" A large Totem Pole rose into the sky, and shot one of its midsections a the Wolf, knocking it into the wall.

A: 1000

"Totem Pole can negate up to three attacks you know, so it'll still be there for a while."

Mr. Ayanami smiled. "It's your turn now, so make it a good one."

Naota drew. "I use Twilight Barrier's effect to Special Summon a second Millennium Shield! In attack mode. Next I activate Shield and sword!"

Millennium Shield took the field and stood proudly as its attack and defense flipped round. (3000/0) "Attack his Gene Warped Warwolf."

"Facedown trap, go!" The teacher blurted. "Negate Attack!"

Millennium Shield crashed into an invisible barrier and came to a halt. "I end my turn," announced Naota. The shield's stats reverted. (0/3000)

Mr. Ayanami drew. "I summon the monster card Raging Bull!" (1600/1300) A bull with golden horns and blood red fur charged forward at the shield. "He's so hot blooded, he's attacking already."

"Go Scrap," before Naota could finish, Mr. Ayanami interrupted him.

"My Bull's effect prevents you from activating Traps."

The creature's horns pierced the Millennium Shield and catapulted it skyward. It came crashing back to Earth like a meteor.

N: 0 A: 1000

Mr. Ayanami smiled. "Sorry Naota, but it looks like you won't be getting any extra credit today."

Naota fell to his knees and pounded his fists on the ground. "Darn it, I lost." He took a deep breath. "I failed the test, now I'm going to flunk the class."

"Not necessarily." Emi spoke up. "Even if it was only five minutes, you still missed part of the test due to a medical emergency, so you can retake it."

Mr. Ayanami nodded. "She's right you know, so study hard and make some lemonade."

As the teacher walked away, Naota couldn't help but feel ashamed. "I don't think I'm cut out for this school," he whispered to himself.

…

**Author's Notes: If all goes according to plan, the Acting Classes will be a major part of the story in a small way. They are here for a reason. Anyway, next chapter is Hikaru's duel! And the tournament is going to begin soon. I hope.**


	8. snɥɔnıɥdo

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX

Author's Notes: Since the smiling and grinning during the duels seemed a bit repetitive, I'm going to tune them down for this chapter. Also, thanks Tsuki and Lonely Ghost, for reviewing my story ^^.

…

A cold wind blew through the night. Three teenagers stood in the woods as two faced each other in a duel. Ryou watched silently as his best friend summoned her monster.

Emi grinned as beams of silver moonlight reflected off her angel's armor. There it hovered, proudly hovering over an enemy army of gargantuan dragons and feral werewolves. Emi raised an arm and lowered it quickly, signaling the attack. "It's over, Ren. Chronocide Angel, attack him directly, Mugen Death Flare!"

The blonde warrior raised her sword into the sky. A bright beacon of light cut through the air, illuminating the area. Even the trees trembled in the angel's presence.

The beacon of light let out a ferocious shriek as it fell upon its target.

R: 0 E: 4000

"That was a quick duel, Emi." Ryou exclaimed in amazement. "I wasn't expecting it to be over that fast."

Emi just intensified her gaze on Ren, like a predator paralyzing its prey with fear. "He didn't put up much of a challenge.

Ren shivered from the fear and the cold. "Fine, I'll tell you what you need to know, just don't hurt me," he pleaded helplessly as tears streamed down his face.

"Hurt you?" Mused Emi. "Wherever did you get that idea?"

…

Naota sat in his bed, with his dark blue blanket drawn over his head. He hugged his tattered teddy bear tightly in his arms. He rocked back and forth steadily, like a boat in the middle of a rough storm. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest, like something was clawing to get out. Tears blurred his vision, and he could barely make out his best friend standing in front of him.

"Mr. Ayanami is a teacher, of course he was going to be a tough opponent," Hikaru reminded him. She leaned over and put her hand on his shoulder. "So what if you lost a few duels. You're still pretty damn good. Hell, you've beaten a few Obelisk blues haven't you?"

"Yeah," he sniffed. "But that was just luck. And they weren't even that good anyway. I haven't done anything worthwhile since I got here! I'm a failure at this academy. I should just drop out."

"Damn it Naota, stop being such a whiny emo brat because you lost! Hell, I've lost my fair share of duels too."

This was not helping.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout," Hikaru apologized quickly. Her voice melted to a softer tone when she saw what effect she had had on Naota. "Oh God, don't cry, please."

He sniffed loudly and wiped away the snot dripping from his nose. "Don't worry, I'm fine." He forced an awkward smile that looked like it he had stolen it from a children's coloring book. He sounded like he licked a lemon and tried to ignore the bitter taste.

"Just promise me that you'll be in class tomorrow." Hikaru hid her worries behind a soothing voice. She stepped back fast and gave Naota a thumbs-up. "Tomorrow in drama class, we're auditioning for roles in the school play. Nayuta and I need you there to cheer us on."

Naota's plastic smile cracked a little as a genuine one pushed out from beneath. "Okay, I'll be there," he promised. "After all, if I skip class, then I won't ever be able to get any better."

Hikaru glanced at the clock. She let out a less than enthusiastic grunt. "It's getting kind of late," she said. "Good thing you don't have a roommate," she muttered. She walked to the bed on the opposite side of the room and climbed in happily. "If you need to talk abut anything, just wake me up."

Before Hikaru could get to sleep, a knock on the door demanded her attention. "Coming," she called. She moved at a gentle pace, taking the time to ready herself for a fight if it came down to it. She thrust the door open and blinked. Emi and Ryou were both standing there.

"Good," said Emi. "You're here, just as I expected."

"What brings you here so late?" Hikaru asked. She double-checked the time. It was past midnight.

"Emi was following a led on the Organization, and she was able to puck off one of their weaker members. She found out some interesting things."

"First of all, Ayanami is in on this." Emi warned. "So be careful around him and don't let him get to you. Second, everyone is a potential target, and everyone is a potential enemy, so be very careful and don't let anyone get under your skin. Third," she paused as she tried to find her words. "We've figured out what they're up to and it isn't good. They're trying to take over the world?"

"Take over the world?" Hikaru laughed. "Through dueling? I mean, sure it's important in the world and all, and you can acquire a lot of power if you play your cards right. But isn't taking over the world a bit out of their reach."

"Have you ever heard of the shadow games?' Emi asked. "They're duels where evil magic is at work. It's with this kind of magic that the Organization wishes to accomplish their goals."

Naota and Hikaru were both stunned into silence.

"They plan to use dark magic to unseal a card known as Skeith- the Terror of Death and use his power to control the world." Emi concluded.

Naota began trembling. "Skeith?" he whispered. He slowly rose to his feet. "Skeith?" His body began shaking violently, like he'd just stepped out of a cold shower into the night wind. Before anyone could stop him, he dashed out the door.

Hikaru snapped to her senses. "Crap, you guys wait here." She took off after her friend. Emi gave chase, and Ryou followed her.

"Emi, wait up!" Ryou cried worriedly.

Emi slowed down, and Naota and Hikaru vanished into the forest.

…

"Damn it," swore a member of the Organization. "Ren caved in and gave Emi way too much information." He stomped his foot in frustration. "Someone needs to go take care of her right now."

"Hmph, leave that to me," said another voice.

"Very well, Masa. We will be depending on you."

…

You can only go through a forest so many times before the sounds become so redundant you don't notice them. Hikaru blocked out any noises besides those coming from her and her friend. She could hear her breath growing ragged with worry, her heart eating faster, and her teeth chattering nervously. She could hear her hair slapping around as the cold wind whipped it mercilessly. "Naota, get your ass back here!" She shrieked.

Naota kept running forward. His breathing was even worse than Hikaru's. He sounded like an old man who had just run a marathon. He struggled to conceal the sobs that tried to escape her throat. He shivered as the cold night stung him to the core. "Just leave me alone," he called back.

Hikaru grunted angrily as she put extra speed into each of her steps. She felt the pain rushing through her legs as she pushed herself to her limit. She closed the gap slightly and jumped.

The two teenagers tumbled to the ground as Hikaru tackled her best friend. He felt his left leg smash painfully into a rock, and his right arm snapped a twig that dug into his arm. It hurt but he was fine otherwise. Physically at least.

"Please," Naota begged. He sounded like a helpless child. Hikaru's hair fell on the back of his neck, tickling him gently. He could smell the wet dirt beneath his nose. "Just let me go."

Hikaru grabbed Naota's hand as she stood up. She pulled her friend up with her, and tightened her grip, making sure not to let go. "Hell no, you're being idiotic. I'm not even sure what you're planning but it's stupid. I don't know if you're going to try joining them, or if you're to try to pull some sort of recon mission or something, but this is idiotic. You'll get yourself hurt."

"Look! They're trying to get me on their side anyway; I might as well join them on my own terms instead of theirs. Besides, they're after Skeith! That's the,"

"I know what card it is!" Hikaru screamed. "You think you're the only one who misses Yuu? He disappeared on both of us!" She had lost it now, and finally snapped. Tears were running down her face. Naota's heart jumped into his throat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Naota apologized quietly. His voice trembled.

"Hmph," interrupted a stranger. "I saw Emi dash into the woods and I hoped I could find her. I guess I'll have to settle for you two though. I just need to use one of you as bait." He reached for his deck. His spiky black hair looked like it was taken directly out of anime, and his Obelisk Blue blazer hung from his waist instead of over his shirt. "So hurry up and grab your deck so I can beat you already."

"Sorry, but I don't have my Duel Disk with me," Hikaru snarled. "So if you want to use me as bait you'll have to beat me in a fist fight instead."

"Hmph, just because you don't have your disk with you doesn't mean you can't use your deck. All we need is someplace to sit." He pointed to a tree stump not far away. "There."

Ryou and Emi finally caught up with the group.

…

"I can take over, if you wish." Emi offered.

Hikaru angrily glared at Masa. "No thanks, I want to humiliate him myself." Their decks were shuffled, and hands were drawn. "My move." She thought things over for a minute. "I summon Maho Shoujo Chiyo!" (1000/1000) "And when she's summoned I get to add a spell to my hand from my deck!" Hikaru surprise a gasp of surprise when a small fuku clad girl rose out of the card she had just played.

"Surprised?" asked Masa. "Hmph, this is the power of the Organization. Our Shadow Duel will determine your fate. The loser will have her soul sacrificed." He was so confident that he used the gender specific _'her' _in reference to Hikaru.

Hikaru ignored the boast. "I activate the Spell Card, Triple Burst! I can only use this on a Maho Shoujo with 1000 or less attack points. I can sacrifice her to deal you damage equal to half her attack. Then I get to Special Summon another Maho Shoujo from my hand, but she can't attack this turn. Not that she could anyway." Chiyo turned into a ball of light and slammed into Masa. (M: 3500) "Next I Special Summon Maho Shoujo Aki in defense mode!" A young girl with short brown hair took the stage. (1100/1300) "She lets me add a Maho Shoujo in my grave to my hand, so I'm taking back my Chiyo. Your move."

"Hmph, was that supposed to impress me? You have a weak monster on your field and nothing to stop me from crushing her. I summon Enraged Battle Ox!" (1700/1000) Out of the card stepped a muscular anthropomorphic ox with red armor and an axe. "Now my Beasts, Beast Warriors, and Winged Beasts can all deal piercing damage. Next, I throw down Poison Fang! Each time a Beast I control inflicts damage to you, you'll take 500 more points of damage! Just be glad this doesn't apply to Beast-Warriors as well. Go, battle Ox, and decapitate her Magic Girl!" The axe swung down with force, chopping through the poor young maiden."

H: 3600

Hikaru gasped as pain coursed through her chest like an electrical shock. It was only minor, but the shock the event scared her.

Masa looked at her with contempt. "Hmph, I place one card facedown and end my turn."

Hikaru grimaced in pain. "I summon Chiyo to the field so I can use her effect again!" She narrated with fierce and bitter determination. "So I add Dimension Magic to my hand and use it to bring out another Maho Shoujo!" An Egyptian coffin rose up and swallowed Chiyo before vanishing back into the depths of its card. A flash of light engulfed the tree trunk for a second before clearing away to reveal Yuki in a battle pose. "Say hello to Maho Shoujo Yuki!" (2200/ 1700) A snowflake burst forth from her wand like a ninja's shuriken. It struck Enraged Battle Ox full force and encased the beast in a solid iceberg.

"Hmph, I activate my Trap Card, Vicious Darwinism! I can activate it when you try to destroy a Beast, Beast Warrior, or Winged Beast with a Spell or Trap Card. A few things happen. First of all this becomes an equip card on the monster you were about to destroy. First, it can't be destroyed except by battle or by monster effects. Second, my monster gets a 500 point attack boost." The iceberg shattered, and the enraged Beast Warrior raised his axe, slamming it into the ground and releasing a shock wave. "Lastly, you take Effect Damage equal to half of my monsters original attack."

The shockwave washed over Hikaru, sending a sick feeling spiraling outward from her stomach.

H: 2150

"I place one card facedown and end my turn," Hikaru explained.

"Hmph, they say you're supposed to be good. I suppose I shouldn't have expected much though. It was obviously foolish of me to consider you decent warm up for my match with Emi."

Ryou assessed the situation calmly. "Emi would beat you in three turns," he stated. "If you two were actually going to duel. But as the situation stand you're about to lose to Hikaru."

Emi was silent. She was enjoying the duel that was taking place, fully confident that Hikaru was going to win.

Naota was as well, for entirely different reasons.

"I summon Red Tiger." (1700/1500) A large tiger rose from the card. Its red and silver striped fur sparkled in the moonlight. It hissed loudly as it surveyed its prey. "Two things happen now that she's here. First off, when she's summoned, I gain Life Points equal to the highest level of monster I have on the field times 100. (M: 3900) "Next, she gives the strongest monster on my side of the field a 500 point boost!" (Enraged Battle Ox: 2700/1000) "Go my Ox, attack her monster!" The Ox raised its axe once more, slamming it down to unleash another shockwave that tore through Hikaru's monster. (H: 1650) "Now go my Tiger, attack her directly." The tiger pounced, aiming for the kill.

"Reverse Card activate! Maho Shoujo Last Gift! I remove Yuki from my grave to add her attack to my Life Points!" The Tiger's claws cut through the air, slashing at her neck with frightening precision. It felt like being scratched by a cat, nothing Hikaru couldn't handle but still aggravating.

"Now Poison fang's effect activates, dealing you 500 damage."

This left Hikaru's Life Points at 1650.

"Hmph, I place one card facedown. Your move." Masa grunted with apathy.

When she drew her card, Hikaru's eyes flashed for a second. "As boring as this duel has been, I think it needs to end now. So allow me to demonstrate why you don't mess with me when I am pissed. "Go, Minako!" A sailor fuku wearing blonde appeared on the field. The wind seemed to play with her short hair. "When I normal summon her I can Special Summon one Maho Shoujo that has been removed from play, so I bring back Yuki!" A portal of blue light swirled on the ground, and Yukoi proudly rose from the ashes. (2200/1700) "Now I activate Yuki's effect by discarding one card from my hand! I get to remove one of your monsters from play, so say good-bye to your Ox!" The ox was eaten by an ice cube for the second time this duel. But as the ice melted away, the Ox did as well, proving that he could not tempt fate a second time."

"Hmph, Now that my Tiger is my strongest monster, she gets an attack boost from her own effect!" Masa explained. (2200/1500)

"So this is why I'm using Dimension Runes! I sacrifice the my Minako to bring back the Keiko I discarded with Yuki's effect." In a flash of light, Minako had been replaced. (1500/1100) Her Special Effect lets me destroy one monster on your field, and Dimension Runes lets me blast away your facedown!" A surge of magical energy flushed over the field, targeting both the tiger and the facedown.

"Go Scapegoat, protect my Life Points!" Four magical sheep took the field, building a wall between the duelists."

Hikaru laughed. "I was hoping you would do that! I pay 1000 Life Points to use Sakura Burst! This allows all my Mahou Shoujo cards to deal piercing damage this turn! Go, Yuki!" A giant snowflake tore through the first Scapegoat. "Now my Keiko attacks, and her second effect comes in. See, she's made for breaking through your defenses, so she gets a 400 point bonus against defense mode monsters!" (Keiko: 1900/ 1100)

M: 0

"No, I, I can't lose," Masa panicked. Dark green lights began swirling around him.

"Hmph," Hikaru echoed his grunt. "So remind me what this was about the loser having his soul sacrificed?"

Emi snapped her fingers, dispersing the theatrical light show with ease. "Don't whine, Masa, your safe."

"But how? That duel should have cost me my soul." He was stunned by his fortune.

"Consider yourself lucky and run along now," Emi instructed him.

The boy ran away like a frightened puppy.

"Shouldn't we have questioned him?' Ryou asked.

"No, we don't have time for that. We all need to get back to our dorms before we get caught," Emi explained. "Of course, before that we need to make sure everything is okay with…" Emi paused.

Fear and panic struck Hikaru in an instant, but those emotions were soon overturned by anger.

"That idiot!" Cried Hikaru worriedly. "He snuck off in the middle of the duel."

"I apologize, Hikaru, I should have been watching him more closely," Emi focused on the ground. "His footprints indicate that he went that way." She pointed and they all walked.

It was a short journey though.

Naota was standing in the middle of a clearing in the forest, staring at the stars in the sky.

"Are you okay?" Hikaru asked. All the anger in her voice washed away. She was back to her calm and caring self.

"I couldn't see the stars in the forest. The trees were too thick." Naota's voice was simple. It held no trace of sadness or of happiness, yet it wasn't empty. It just was. "Yuu's favorite constellation was Ophiuchus," he commented. His eyes never wavered from the snake bearer in the sky. "I wonder if he's looking at it right now."

Hikaru and Ryou stood by his side, and together they all watched the stars in silence.

…

**Author's Note: Grrr, too sappy at the end. And they found Naota too fast.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the name Skeith.**


	9. Unlimited Trap Works

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX.

Author's Note: Teehee, Ghost-sama's writing is rubbing off on me. Double Summon pops up a lot in his duels, so I thought I'd use it. Also, I learned about Lady in Wight while reading his story. Thanks Lonely Ghost-666!

Also, I think this duel is very dialogue heavy and based heavily on Naota's defensive abilities.

…

"Now my Gene Warped Warwolf will attack your facedown!" (2000/100) The young Obelisk Blue swung his arm out. His four-armed furry friend charged forward. He let out a howl. "Hey, are you awake?" He asked.

Naota's eyes pried themselves open. "Oh, sorry. You attacked my Lady in Wight." (0/2200) His voice shifted between soft and loud, like the ebbing and flowing of the sea.

A satisfying crunch rang out through the field as the werewolf's fists hit the skeletal woman in the black dress. Somehow, the genetically altered beast of destruction was unable to break the bones of the enemy skeleton.

?: 3800

Naota let out a long yawn as he drew his card. He and Hikaru had spent hours gazing at the stars, even after Emi and Ryou had returned to their dorm. By the time he finally returned to his room, it was five in the morning. His mind drifted between the duel and his fantasy world, where sleep deprivation brought his imagination to life.

"It's your move!" The Obelisk repeated angrily. "Are you going to do anything?"

Naota yawned again. He looked at some of the cards in his hand. Although his strategy remained the same, he was constantly fine-tuning his deck, adding and removing spells and traps as he saw fit. The big ones always stayed, Mirror Force, Magic Cylinder, Scrap-Iron, Scape Goat, and a few others. However, he would experiment with cards like Magic Javelin and the like. Currently, he held one such card in his hand. "I play Double Summon. First I normal summon Mystical Elf then I sacrifice her for Millennium Shield!" (0/3000) The great shield monster appeared in attack mode.

"I know you're sleep deprived so I'll let you fix your mistake and switch that card to defense." His opponent offered.

"Next I bring back my Elf with Monster Reborn!" (800/2000) The blue elf reappeared on the field in attack mode. "Next I switch Lady in Wight to attack mode." The Obelisk Blue cringed. He could see what was coming next. "Go, Sword and Shield! Flip the attack and defense of all monsters on the field!"

Mystical Elf (2000/800)

Lady in Wight (2200/0)

Millennium Shield (3000/0)

Gene Warped Warwolf- (100/2000)

"Attack!"

It started out as an ordinary school day until classes were interrupted an announcement. The classes all marched into the fields. Once there, teachers paired up students of different dorms and years. Then the duels began.

Nobody was quite sure why, but everyone obeyed.

Naota's Millennium Shield flattened the werewolf with comical effect. The Lady in White followed up by firing off a small blue flame that washed over the Obelisk's body. His Life Points dropped to 0.

Hikaru was having a similar stroke of luck in her duel. Her opponent, a first-year Osiris Red, had made the first move and opened by setting a monster. "I summon Chiyo and use her effect to move Dimension Magic to my hand. Next I offer Chiyo to Dimension Magic so I can Special Summon Yuki and destroy your monster all in one move. Next I play two cards facedown and use Miracle Aura Spell. I remove the Chiyo in my grave from play and discard my hand so I can draw cards equal to Chiyo's level!" Hikaru picked up three cards. "Attack her directly, Yuki!" (2200/1700) "Next I activate my facedown to send Yuki to the grave and Special Summon Maho Shoujo Asuka" (1800/1000) "Attack her directly!"

Hikaru won her duel as well.

Ryou was facing a Third-Year Obelisk Blue. Ryou barely focused on his own duel, and instead scanned the crowd for signs of Emi. "Think you could pay attention?" The young girl fumed. "I'm kind of busy whooping you here."

R: 3000 ?: 4000

Obviously, it was an exaggeration.

"Huh? Oh sorry," he apologized. "It's my turn, right? I summon Mia (200/200) and use her effect to take control of your Summoned Skull (2500/1200) by discarding one card from my hand." "Next I use Monster Reborn to revive my Gigaplant that I just discarded!" (2400/1200) "Attack her directly."

Ryou's duel ended quickly as well.

Nayuta similarly ended her duel with grace.

"Go, Velonica Knight, attack him directly!"

N: 700 ?: 0

Nearly the entire student population was present for this event. And not many knew why.

…

"So, anything interesting to report?" Mr. Ayanami asked Sora. An hour had passed since the event, and classes were back on schedule.

"The Organization looked over all the duels and nothing stood out among them. While quite a few students have showed exceptional talent, there wasn't anything worth noting from students who weren't already under our watchful eye."

"That's too bad, we could always use more allies if we are to find Skeith. Also, how did Morganna fare in her duel?"

"She won, of course." Sora answered.

"Good, I wouldn't expect anything less from her. Now if you'll excuse me, it's lunch time, and I'm quite hungry." He walked towards the cafeteria.

…

Naota took a bite out of his ham sandwich. "So what was that all about?" he asked. He sat at a table with Nayuta, Hikaru, Ryou, and Emi.

"From what I've gathered, it was Mr. Ayanami's idea. This means it probably has to do with the quest for Skeith."

"Speaking of all this freaky weirdness," Hikaru paused to take a sip of her soda. It gargled through the straw. "What exactly did you pull last night?"

"That was nothing," she explained. "I just happened to be able to break his spell. It's a simple trick really, if you've done this before." She said it like it was no big deal, but Hikaru still had trouble accepting it.

Nayuta sighed. "I feel like such an outsider. I missed everything that happened last night and now I feel almost like you guys are setting me up for some big prank with this magic business."

"I wish," mumbled Hikaru. "But it's all true," her head fell on the table, making a dull _'pack'_ sound on impact.

Nayuta smiled. "Well, I believe you, Hikaru." She raised her hand to her nose in disgust as a disturbing smell made its way toward her. "What is that?' She asked through her hand. It smelled like rotten celery mixed with soil.

"Sorry," Emi apologized. "That would be my lunch." She took an odd-looking whole grain sandwich out of her bag. Green vegetables that Nayuta couldn't identify began spilling out. Emi's teeth sank in with a loud crunch.

"I need to go to the restroom," Nayuta told the others. She quickly leapt to her feet and dashed away quickly, like a frightened rabbit.

"I think I'm going to be sick as well," said Naota. He resisted the urge to puke and ran off towards a restroom.

"Does my food really smell that bad?" Emi asked.

Ryou fell silent, not wishing to offend his friend.

"Yes," Hikaru said bluntly. "It smells like horse crap."

…

Naota slowed down as the pain in his stomach began to ease up. He was feeling better and he was about to turn back. He kept his head low, taking in deep breaths. He had run all the way here and his asthma was starting to kick in badly. His lungs burned for air, and his legs were throbbing as well. Without watching his step, he bumped into what felt like a brick wall.

"Watch where you're going," grumbled a voice.

Naota looked up to see a familiar face, Third-Year Obelisk Blue Shouhei Kayama. He had rough, rugged features like a man about twice his age, black hair shaved into a buzz cut, and a large muscular build, like an action hero in some 2-Star American action flick. He was one of the best students in the school. Everyone knew about his explosive temper and over inflated ego.

Naota put his palms together and bowed his head repeatedly, like a bobble head doll/ "I'm sorry, it's my fault, I didn't see you there."

"Hey, you're Naota aren't ya?" Shouhei cracked his knuckles in a threatening manner.

Naota let out a mouse like squeal.

"You're that punk who thinks he's the future Judai just 'cause he beat a few Obelisks who don't even deserve their position." He grabbed Naota by the collar and pulled him up. "Oh what's the matter, are you going to pee your pants?"

Naota was actually quite close to wetting himself like a little child. He closed his eyes and raised his hands in defense, forming a wall of defense.

A bystander caught Shouhei's fist like a baseball. "Now, now, Shouhei-chan," teased the bystander. "Just because you got rejected by the Pro Leagues doesn't mean you should take it out on others who still have a chance."

Naota opened his eyes slowly. His mind set to work quickly, taking in everything. First, a stranger saved him. This was a good thing. He would have to say thank you later. Second, the Pro Leagues had rejected Shouhei Kayama, one of the school's top students. This was bad. _'If he couldn't make it, what chance do I have.'_

The stranger smiled violently. "Now, are you going to set the poor kid down or do I need to make you?" The stranger asked. He was a first-year Osiris Red. Naota recognized him from the entrance exams.

"What are you going to do about it?" Laughed Shouhei.

The Osiris student was thin and pale, and he had short silver hair. He didn't look like much of a fighter. He stood there silently, waiting for something to happen. Shouhei tried to pull his fist out of the boy's hold, but it was like trying to pry your arm out from under a rock. It was nearly impossible and his fist began to hurt. Suddenly, he let go of Shouhei's fist.

The Obelisk Blue fell backwards, pulling Naota with him. The stranger quickly grabbed Naota's hand to stop him from falling. He aimed a kick at Shouhei's wrist that forced the bully to let go of his prey.

"Thanks," Naota told his savior. "I was scared for a moment."

"No problem," he answered. "My name is Takuya, it's nice to meet you." He offered his hand in a handshake.

A groan of pain slithered out of Shouhei's throat as he quickly stood up. "You'll pay for that," he promised.

Takuya sighed. "How about we settle things with a duel?" He suggested. "You duel Naota, and if he wins, then you have to promise to leave him alone. If you win, then I'll be your slave for the rest of the school year."

"My personal slave huh?" Shouhei liked the idea. "Fine I accept your terms."

"But, I can't beat him!" Naota protested. "What are you thinking? He's one of the best in the school!"

Takuya grinned. "It's called faith."

Naota gulped, yawned, and drew. "I go first." His mind began to wander into a daydream, but Shouhei snapped him out of it.

"Hurry up and get on with it so I can make my move." The Obelisk Blue demanded.

"I set one card facedown and play two cards face down!" Thee cards appeared on Naota's field. All of them were face down, revealing no secrets to his foe.

"A set monster huh? Could be troublesome." Shouhei clicked his tongue. "I guess it's time to get rid of those. Giant Trunade take the stage." A fierce wind blew around the field, lifting Naota's facedown cards back into his hands. "Next I use his effect to Special Summon Grinder Golem to your side of the field."

A large metal behemoth stood towering over Naota, casting a menacing shadow over the field. It had a circular saw for a head and claw like hands. Chains fell from its body, clanging around as it walked. The saw set into motion and created a hideous whirring noise. (3000/300) Two miniature versions appeared on Shuehei's side of the field. (0/0)

'_I've never seen him due; before,' _Naota thought to himself. His head sank as his mind began to wander once again, but he managed to stay focused. _'I wonder what he has planned.'_

…

Nayuta looked up at the others. She had returned quite some time ago, but Naota was still gone. "Think he's okay?" She asked worriedly. "What if someone from the Organization tried to force him into a duel?"

Emi nodded. "This could be a possibility. This morning's events have got me worried."

Hikaru tried to lift her face off the table, but it was too much effort. "I hope he's okay, but I'm not even sure he can manage to stay awake right now. If he's in a duel, he'll probably fall asleep before it's over." She placed her hands on the table and pushed herself up, like an athlete in the middle of her exercises. "I think I can make it, let's go look for him."

Everyone agreed.

…

"I set two cards facedown!" Shouhei narrated. He gripped one of the cards in his hand tightly, like he was afraid it might blow away in the wind. "Now go, my token, attack his Golem!"

Naota watched as his opponent's token began its suicidal charge. The larger monster raised its foot and crushed the smaller one like a cockroach. A small explosion rocked the field. A Kaboom followed it soon after.

Shouhei laughed as his Life Point counter began tumbling down. (S: 1000) "I'm sure you're smart enough to realize I have a plan. By taking 3000 damage in one hit, I am allowed to activate my trump card, Inferno Tempest!" A raging inferno fell from above. It descended on the field like a storm. Fire spun around, lifting debris into the air. It was a brilliant dance of flames.

Shouhei laughed. "This card removes every monster card in our decks from play!" Both duelists watched their disks eject the cards from their deck. They slipped the cards away into the removed from play zone. "I end my turn!" Suddenly, a mysterious portal opened up above Shouhei, and three small machines floated out. They were orb like, with two thin arms at their sides. "Say hello to my D.D. Scouts! When they're removed from play, I can Special Summon them at the end of my turn!" (800/1200)

Naota drew his next card, but before he could do anything, Shouhei was revealing his facedown. "I activate my tap," he explained. "It's called Soul Eater. I can remove one of your defense mode monsters from play and increase my Life Points by that monsters defense. So say bye to your facedown!"

A black orb of energy surrounded the facedown card and quickly vanished, taking the card with it."

Naota grunted in despair as his opponent's Life Points whirred up. The advantage Shouhei had given him was now almost completely gone. (S: 3200)

"Now to do something about that Grinder Golem! I activate Crush Card Virus!" The second miniature token vanished. "By sacrificing my token, I can destroy all monster son your side of the field with 1500 or more attack points. In addition, all monsters with 1500 or more attack in your hand is destroyed as well. And I get to keep checking for two more turns." Grinder Golem hologram turned into a sickly green color as it began falling apart. "Now reveal your hand."

Naota placed every card in his hand onto the Duel Disk. They disc quickly scanned the cards and revealed them to Shouhei via hologram. The Third-Year began memorizing what he saw. Two Scapegoat, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, Swords of Revealing Light, Future Warp, and a Totem Pole.

Shouhei let out a deep laugh.

"You have got to be kidding me, this is great. I already got rid of all your monsters. Now I just need to be careful not to bump into any dangerous traps or fall to any trap monsters, and I've got this won."

Naota's hands trembled as he thought this over. _'I don't have any monsters in my deck,' _he reminded himself. A smile broke out on his face. "Let's get this show on the road! I activate Future Warp! This lets me take a Spell or Trap from my deck and set it on the field face down, though I can't use it this turn. All I have to do is discard one card from my hand as a cost." He slipped Swords of revealing Light into the graveyard.

Takuya watched with a grin. _'This is starting to get interesting. I was worried Naota would win too easily. Poor Shouhei doesn't realize that he stands no chance here. And if that facedown card is what I think it is, then Naota's about to have some fun with his opponent.'_

"I set two cards facedown and end my turn!" Naota played in safe, not wanting to risk losing all his cards at once.

"My turn!" Shouhei grinned. "I summon Tyranno Infinity!" (?/0) "His attack is equal to the number of my Dinosaurs removed from play. And I have ten!" A T-Rex appeared on the field and began thrashing about as he steadily grew to become four times his size. He let out a deep demonic roar. (10000/0) "Now go, my DD Scouter, attack him directly!" Shouhei knew Naota would counter, but it was okay. He just needed to slowly chip away at his defenses like a miner slowly chipping away at a wall.

"I activate Metal Wall!" Naota cried out. "Now you take 500 Points of damage whenever I negate an attack. And I'll stop your attack with Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" A metal stick figure made of scrap parts appeared on the field and held of the scouter before throwing him into a wall.

S: 2700

"Time for my second Scouter to make an attack." Shouhei announced. The DD Scouter flew forward and fired a laser out of the eye like at Naota.

"Go, Totem Pole!" Naota cried out. This strategy hadn't helped much last time, but he prayed things would be different now. A large Totem Pole made of three sections rose out of the card. Each section vaguely resembled an Egyptian God Cards. The blue Obelisk section fired off and knocked the DD Scout into the Iron Wall.

S: 2200

"Not bad kid. I guess I need to wait until I draw a card that can annihilate your trap. I end my turn." Shouhei chuckled when he assessed the situation. _'He actually thinks he still has a chance. I should hurry up and crush him. He's already precariously close to breaking. It shouldn't take much more to convince him to join us.'_

…

Hikaru felt like an old woman. She was normally athletic, but she was so exhausted she could barely run. _'Oh God, Drama Class is going to be such torture,'_ she internally moaned. The others were going slowly for her sake, but she was starting to worry. "Guys, hurry up and go look for Naota, I'll catch up in a bit." She nodded when they asked if she was sure. They all took off without her, but she kept marching forward. _'Naota, please be okay. If you are, I promise I'll get the lead role in the school play. Just like you asked me to.'_

She leaned against a wall as memories of that morning flooded back to her.

…

The stars shimmered like lanterns in the night sky. It was cold so Naota drew up close to Hikaru for warmth. "You weren't actually going to join them were you?" Hikaru asked worriedly.

"I," Naota stuttered. He was unsure what to say. "I'm not sure."

They were so close she could smell the lingering scent of strawberry shampoo in his hair.

He turned to Hikaru longingly. His eyes were pleading with her soul. "Hikaru, the school play is going to be broadcast across the world. Please, promise me you'll get the lead role. I'm not good enough to get the male lead, so you're my only hope."

"I," Hikaru stuttered. Now she wasn't sure what to say. "I'll do my best. I'll get the lead role and then he'll see it. That's what you want, right?"

Naota nodded.

…

Naota grabbed a card and thrust his arm skywards. "The card I drew is Magic Cylinder," he announced to his opponent. "I'll set it facedown." He smiled when the situation registered on Shouhei's face.

'_This kid is making it so that I'll need to go through more cards then I can imagine before I even touch him. That Iron Wall is a threat, but so is Magic Cylinder. Of course, even if I do destroy just Iron Wall I can constantly whittle away at him with my Scouters until he loses. Surely, he'll be keeping his Magic Cylinder saved for my dinosaur. But what do I do if he gets Mirror Force?' _He began over thinking it, and his head began pounding.

"Your turn," Naota said playfully. The excitement had given him an energy boost.

Ryou, Emi, and Nayuta managed to arrive at this time.

"Oh my God, he's dueling Shouhei!" Nayuta exclaimed with excitement.

Emi nodded to confirm. "Yes, that's Shouhei, one of our schools top duelists.

"So who's winning?" Nayuta asked.

Takuya decided to answer. "Both duelists have had all their monsters removed from play thanks to Inferno Tempest. This let Shouhei bring out his three DD Scouters and summon his Tyranno Infinity with 10000 attack points. Naota's traps were able to save him though. He has Iron Wall, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, Totem Pole, and Magic Cylinder, which means that Shouhei has to be very careful about attacking."

"Your move!" Naota shouted.

Shouhei smiled when he saw the card he drew. "I activate Tyrant's Might! As long as this card is on the field, I take no damage from the effects of Spells or Trap cards, as long as I have the strongest monster on the field that is. Now go, my monsters, attack!"

The three Scouters rushed forward and .knocked Naota over.

N: 1600

"It seems you wish to save your Totem Poll for a later time. Now, I just need to end my turn."

Naota panicked. He was going to run out of options soon. He had his Scapegoats at least. He wasn't sure why he hadn't activated the spell already. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep. On the other hand, maybe he had a plan he just couldn't remember. Maybe it was the mistake of thinking they wouldn't be needed for now.

He brushed all thoughts out of his head and focused on the duel. The confidence he had felt surging through him like a raging current had reduced in strength to a gentle tingling of fear. He reached for his next card, but he was shaking too hard to draw. He was beginning to panic. _'I need to draw something soon,' _he thought to himself.

"You, Naota, if you win this duel I promise I'll get the lead in the school play!"

He turned to the source of his cheer, his beacon of light in the darkness.

"Okay Hikaru, it's a deal," he said with a smile. He revealed his draw to Shouhei as per the rules of Crush Card. "Mirror Force," he taunted. "You know what that means, right?" He let out his own laugh. "First I activate Scapegoat!" Four sheep popped out of the card. (0/0) "Now I set my Mirror Force. Your move!"

Shouhei growled like a panther denied his prey. _'I need to attack to defeat him, but that Mirror Force will crush all my attack mode monsters. So that means I need to switch as many into defense mode as possible. But If I have only one monster in attack mode, he'll use his Scarecrow. So either I need to sacrifice two of my monsters to get through this, or I wait until I can destroy it. Of course, he did just fill out his entire magic and trap card zone. This could be beneficial to me.' _The Obelisk Blue student smiled as he drew. "Any chance you want to forfeit? I have some things I'd like my new slave to do."

Takuya laughed. "Do you honestly think I'd have made such a stupid bet unless I was one hundred percent guaranteed Naota would win? Hurry up and make your move Shouhei, I want to see this kid crush you." He smiled like a conman waiting to catch his prey.

Naota's resolve faltered again. _'I forgot about that bet.' _He cleared his throat. "Give it up Shouhei. Takuya put himself on the line for me and I'm not going to betray his trust. Now stop stalling."

"I equip my Tyranno Infinity with Fairy Meteor Crush! This means that by having him attack your Scapegoat's this will deal essentially as much damage as a direct attack! Now I switch my Tyranno and one DD Scout to defense mode." Both monsters took defensive stances. The dinosaur crouched on the ground, and the robot curled its arms. "Go, DD Scout! Attack!" The monster fired a laser that quickly met with resistance.

"Holy Barrier – defend my life with your light, Mirror Force reflect all within your sight!" Naota swung out his arm dramatically. A mirror blocked the way to the sheep and shot the laser right back at the two DD Scouts in attack mode, wiping them off of the face of the Earth."

"Your move," Shouhei reluctantly admitted.

"Now I draw!" Naota announced. He revealed his card. "Now that it's the last turn of your Crush card Virus' lingering effect, I'd like to pint out that things are going to be severely different from now on. For one thing, you won't know what card I've played face down on each new turn. And you'll have to risk everything. Are you ready for that?"

Shouhei tried to shake off the words. He realized Naota was playing his own mind game, something the Organization loved to do, but this kid did have a point. Sure, every duel was like that, but they were at a point where one mistake would end it all.

"I drew the card Negate Attack. I won't set it now, because I want to keep a spot open for my Spells. I'll end my turn."

Sweat trickled down Shouhei's neck. The duel was surprisingly intense. "I switch my monsters into attack mode." Shouhei thought it over. _'He's going to stop one attack with Scrap Iron, then another with Totem Pole. This will keep his monsters safe for two turns. But then I'll start going after his sheep with my Scout, and they'll all go away, so he'll summon more sheep. On top of that, eh has Negate Attack in his hand. So that means he'll be protecting himself for eleven turns if I don't draw something.' _He let out a grunt of annoyance. "Go, attack!"  
"Go, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! Totem Pole." Naota ordered. "Negate his attacks!"

Naota drew a card. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards!" Naota picked two cads out of his deck. "Alright, time to end this. I activate Token Thanksgiving! I destroy all Tokens on the field to gain 800 Life Points for each!"

N: 4800

"Next I set one card facedown and end my turn!"

This had Shouhei sufficiently freaked. _'Just what is he planning?' _The endless possibilities swirled around in his head like a typhoon of thoughts. They terrorized his mind. "It won't do much, but just for fun I'd like to equip my Tyranno with Megamorph, thus doubling his attack!" (20000/0) The dinosaur doubled in size. It was nearly twice as big as the buildings that surrounded everyone. "Go, everyone, attack!"

"Negate Attack." Instead of going for drama, Naota spoke calmly, like nothing was happening at all. "My move? Good. I was kind of hoping to end this now, so here I go. First, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Tyrant's Might. Next I set down one card and end my turn!"

"Grrr, with my Tyrant's Might gone I need to watch out for your Magic Cylinder, which means it's a waiting game until I can get a card to destroy it." He sounded like he'd told there was an hour-long wait to get into his favorite restaurant.

"Not quite. I activate Battle Mania! It forces all your face up monsters into attack mode and makes them attack! Sorry Shouhei, but it was only a matter of time before I drew the cards I needed, and here they are."

"But, that means that your Magic Cylinder activates the second my Tyranno attacks!" Shcok ran through his body for a second. "So, I lose huh?" Shouhei frowned. "I guess they were right when they said I wasn't Pro Material." He placed his hand on the Duel Disk. He sank to his knees, broken.

N: 4800

R: Forfeit

Naota sank to his knees as well, exhausted by the duel. "That was," his words got lost as thoughts. _'So close,' _he finished. Hikaru rushed to his side to catch him before he could hit the ground.

…

"So not even one of our top members could beat Naota?" Mr. Ayanami asked. "This is rather disappointing.

"Like you're making much progress either. Four a teacher you sure are low ranking in this Organization," taunted Sora.

"Stop arguing you two!" Ordered a thundering voice. "I'm trying to read." She had long red hair and wore an Obelisk Blue uniform.

"Please forgive me," apologized Mr. Ayanami. "I didn't men to bother you, Aiko-sama."

Sora laughed. Seeing a teacher being so polite to a student was making his day. But it was understandable. After all, she was a much higher-ranking duelist than he was.

"Our plans are going extremely well, save for the fact that we can't seem to recruit anyone from Emi's group. She's going to be a major problem. But fear not. One of our top agents is going after the lead role in the play. Our sourced tell us that Hikaru promised Naota she'd get that lead. So if that promise is broken, she'll be one step closer to breaking as well."

…

Naota's eyes took in a lot at once. Five faces stared at him. "Hi guys. What happened?" He asked.

"Well, you just won what was probably the longest duel ever," Takuya explained. "And everyone's talking about how you beat Shouhei. It's like they al thought he was invincible. He ran his hand through his hair. "Anyway that was an amazing duel, even if it wasn't as fast paced as most."

"So did I miss any classes?" He asked worriedly.

"Just one, but that's okay. We got your make up work," Nayuta handed him a stack of assignments.

"Déjà vu," he muttered.

A loud ringing sound filled the room.

"It's time to head to Drama Class," Hikaru told him as she waved good-bye. "I promise I'll get that role!"

Everyone else waved as well. Naota went back to sleep. He still felt exhausted.

…

Author's Note: Yeah…sorry about that.


	10. Beware the Jabberwock

**Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh, GX, Google or Jabberwocky.**

**Anyway, Kira here. After reading through Ghost's story, I grew to love his openings. So I hope he doesn't mind me copying his style. Anyway, I hope to finish with this episodic nature soon and get to the tournament. Oh and its been a while since I switch the focus away from Naota or Hikaru, I feel bad about that, but they still have one more chapter after this. Anyway, I think I'll keep his chapter short and skip to the duel to compensate for last chapters inability to end.**

…

The car shrieked as it spun toward the sidewalk. A scream died in Naota's throat, unable to escape. He could see the car whirling towards him, but fear had him paralyzed. He couldn't move.

"Naota, look out!" Hikaru screamed. She rushed toward her friend, but he was too far way.

Someone grabbed Naota's hand and yanked him away. The car crashed into a wall.

Naota was having that dream again.

…

After they left Naota with the nurse, Hikaru and Nayuta both headed to their drama class. They waited through some of the others performances before their turns came up. Nayuta gave an impressive reading, but then it was Hikaru's turn.

She took a calming breath. She'd been waiting for this moment for a few days, and they'd been spent with a nervous nagging in the back of her mind. With the added weight of her promise to Naota layered on, Hikaru found herself shaking.

Hikaru took the script and began to read. "Oh, Zach, why are you such an idiot," she moaned. It wasn't that hard to pull off the compassionate sass that was required for the role. She felt like she was playing herself. "You'll need to be more careful or next time you might lose the duel." She read more lines, adding emotion into each one without over acting. She wasn't a professional, but she was good for a student. She ended and the classroom cheered.

"Way to overact," sneered a brown haired girl in an Obelisk uniform. "I'll show you how it's really done." She took the stage and began reciting the same lines.

Hikaru suppressed the violent urge to attack her and tear her to bits.

As the girl's recital finished to an end, the audience broke into applause.

"That was amazing, Eriko," Mrs. Kino clapped along. "I don't think we've ever a student give such a passionate yet genuine performance. The only problem is that your grades are to low, so I'm afraid you won't be able to get the role."

Eriko's eye twitched. "Wha-huh?" She gawked.

Mrs. Kino shook her head. "I'm sorry but you're getting C's and lower in your other classes. So it looks like I'm going to have to give this role to Hikaru.

…

Hiroaki sat back in his chair typing away at his laptop. _'We've planted the seeds of despair within Ryou, we've chipped away at Naota's armor, and Hikaru's light is fading fast. Those three are well within our grasp, but we should begin working on Nayuta soon.' _He hit a few keys and clicked a few buttons on his screen. "So tell me, my dear Google, what is Nayuta's darkest secret."

Fumiko laughed. "Is it really that easy?"

"Yes it is," Hiroaki answered. "The Organization's been finding out the secret fears of countless students and exploited them to get more students on our side. It's been this way for a few years now."

"Scary," muttered Fumiko. "So just how big is this Organization anyway?"

"Over half the student population has been converted, and the teacher's haven't a clue."

…

"Grrr, I will not accept this," growled Eriko. "I am a star. I'm not letting this second-rate trash steal the spotlight from me." She had the attitude of a stereotypical superstar, one of her biggest weaknesses. "I demand the lead be given to me."

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Mrs. Kino apologized, "Well, there is a way I suppose. Eriko, Hikaru, you two will duel, and the lead role will be awarded to whoever can give a more passionate performance."

Eriko wasted no time. "It's time to duel!"

…

Takuya sat on top of the school roof, gazing out at the blue sky. He could smell the flowers growing in the garden below. There were roses and violets among others. Approaching footsteps echoed in the stairwell. He closed his eyes and waited. "Hello, my dear Lunatic Princess, what brings you here?"

The girl behind him only growled. "I don't know what you're up to, Takuya, but I swear that if it harms my little sister in anyway I will hunt you down and kill you."

"Wow, very violent aren't you. I guess that's where you get your name from." He raised his duel disk. "Care to duel?"

"Sorry, I have important business to attend to." She turned and walked away, vanishing like an illusion.

Takuya reached into his pocket and pulled out his deck. "Looks like someone is on to me."

…

Eriko drew a card, rushing directly into the battle. "I summon Beautiful Headhuntress!" (600/800) The girl that appeared wore a beautiful blue kimono with a pink sash. A pink ribbon held her blue hair up when she engaged in battle. "Next I equip her with Vorpal Blade and play one card face down. Your move, Hikaru." Headhuntress dropped her sword in favor of a long blade that shimmered black and red.

The young girl drew.

"Come on Hikaru, you can do it!" Nayuta cheered.

Hikaru smiled, knowing that she had exactly what she wanted in her hand.

"I summon Maho Shoujo Haruka to the field!" (1700/1300) "Using her effect I add Dimension Magic to my hand, and I offer Haruka up to my Spell Card to Special Summon Maho Shoujo Kimiko!" (1600/1400) "Now I can destroy your Headhuntress and activate Kimiko's effect!" Kimiko blasted her foe with a black flame. It ate the Headhuntress like a hungry tiger. "Now Kimiko deals you 600 points of damage."

E: 3400

"Now my Vorpal Sword's effect activates. When the monster it's equipped to gets sent to the grave by a Spell or Trap, I can choose one monster on your side of the field to remove from play." The Vorpal Blade flew forward and sliced through Kimiko. "Next I can special summon one monster from my deck with the same level as the monster that Vorpal Blade had been equipped to, and then I can choose an equip card in my deck to equip to it!" A mysterious black portal opened on the ground and out rose another Headhuntress. "Say hello to my Grand Beauty Headhuntress. (1600/800) "She gets 400 attack points for every card of yours that has been removed from play. (2000/800) "Then I equip her with Axe of Despair."

"I play one card face down and end my turn," Hikaru balled her free hand into a fist, like she was squeezing an invisible stress ball.

Eriko drew her card and played it immediately. I activate Nobleman of Extermination to remove your facedown from play." Eriko smiled as her opponents Negate Attack was taken off the field. "So this not only boosts my monster's attack, but means that I remove my Negate Attack from play." The Duel Disk ejected the Trap Card from Eriko's deck. "So now I get to activate my face down continues trap, Different Dimension Stagnation! When one of my cards is removed from play you have to take the top card of your deck and remove it from play."

Hikaru slipped the top card of her deck into the Removed From Play zone.

Headhuntress' attack rose to 3800. Eriko grinned. "Now I normal summon my Lovely Assassin to the field!" (1700/100) "I can use her effect to boost her attack for this turn, all by removing the top two cards of my deck from the game!" The assassin's attack went up by 300 points for each. (2300/100) Naturally, Hikaru slipped two more cards from her deck into the Removed from Play slot. Headhuntress attack rose to 4600. "Go, my Assassin, attack her directly!"

The assassin moved swiftly. She was dressed like a stereotypical ninja but she had a cute pink and blue outfit instead of the traditional black uniform. She appeared behind Hikaru in an instant, and plunged a dagger into her back.

H: 1700

"Now go, my Headhuntress, attack!" The Headhuntress sprang forward on Eriko's orders.

Hikaru grabbed a card from her hand and threw it onto her Duel Disk. "Every good Maho Shoujo story needs a cute animal, don't you think?" She grinned. "Say hello to Kurinin!" A Kuriboh like fuzz ball leapt onto the field, dressed in black just like a stereotypical ninja. "You aren't the only one fond of ninjutsu. Let's see what my assassin can do!" Kurinin pulled out a large shuriken and threw it at the Headhuntress. She had no time to dodge before the weapon sliced right through her. "When you attack I can Special Summon Kurinin from my hand to the field in attack mode. He'll not only negate the attack, but he'll destroy the monster as well!"

"Very well, I'll let you make your move." Eriko snarled viciously.

…

Naota's eyes opened slowly. He could hardly believe the face in front of him. "Haruka," he squealed. "What are you doing here." He sat up and hugged the girl.

She handed him a bouquet of flowers. They smelled sweeter than anything on the island did.

"Well, Hikaru told me you weren't doing to well lately, so I thought I'd stop by." She had short brown hair and arm, gentle eyes. "So how are you doing?"

"Poorly," he admitted. "I don't know if I can handle any more stress. I've already fainted twice this month, although, to be fair, the second time might have been because I stayed up until five this morning."

Haruka smiled. "Well don't worry; I'm sure you'll be fine. Hey, my brother told me to give these to you." She pulled a small envelope out of her tote bag.

"Thanks," Naota said politely. He opened the envelope to find a few Duel Monsters cards inside, along with a note.

_Dear Naota,_

_Hey how are you doing? I hope my cousin's taking good care of you, and not being too mean. I haven't seen you two in ages, although that's about to change. I can't say much, but you can expect me to drop by soon. Tell Hikaru I said hi!_

_PS I know some of these cards aren't your style, but I really think that if you include a few more attack options, your chances of winning would increase dramatically._

Naota looked at the cards inside. "Hey, these look like they could be useful."

…

Hikaru twirled around as she drew her card. "I sacrifice my Kurinin to play Maho Shoujo Megumi!" (2500/1200) This Maho Shoujo looked slightly older than the most. She had long black hair that seemed to glimmer in the light. "Go, attack her ninja!" A magical explosion of light and colors streamed out of her staff,

E: 2600

"Ha, when my Assassin is destroyed, I get to choose one monster on your side of the field to take with her, so say bye-bye to Megumi!" Eriko watched as a storm of shuriken tore the magical schoolgirl to bits.

"When my Megumi is destroyed, I can Special Summon another Maho Shoujo from my hand or deck, so say hello to Asuka!" (1800/1000) "Attack her directly!"

Eriko grunted as the blast of energy washed over her.

H: 3500 E: 800

"When she deals you damage, I recover Life Points equal to that amount. Now I play a facedown and end my turn."

Eriko grunted as she drew her card. "Silver Winds and Golden Sun. Life's Mysteries Roll on Forever. When she Comes out Let all be Undone. Return this World to Never! Go Lifeless Angel!" (1400/1300) Eriko smiled. "Now watch as my Angel's effect goes into play. I flip a coin and call it. If I'm right, then five cards from the top of your deck are removed from play. If I'm wrong, they come off my deck. So I'm calling Heads!"

A silver coin spun through the air, landing on tails. "So now we both send five cards from our deck to the other dimension!"

Thanks to Different Dimension Stagnation, Hikaru was losing more cards from her deck.

Eriko smiled. "Next I activate Angel's Aria! I can remove an angel I control from play and Special Summon monster from my deck with the same level. So say hello to my second Grand Beauty Headhuntress. (6000/800) "Attack her Maho Shoujo!"

"I activate Maho Shoujo Last Gift! I remove my Megumi from play to gain 2500 Life Points!" The Headhuntress slashed through Asuka.

H: 1600

"Hah, what an excellent move I must say." Eriko's sarcasm was grating to Hikaru. It sounded worse than a dying giraffe. "It's your move."

Hikaru prayed as she drew her card. "I activate Pot of Greed!" She felt like humming classical music in celebration. "I summon Maho Shoujo Emi!" (1200/1100) "Her effect lets me draw a card. Now I attack your monster and activate the Quick Play Spells Radiant Heart and Radiant Will! Both cards can only be activated when a Maho Shoujo enters battle with another monster. My Radiant Heart stops me from taking any Battle Damage, thus protecting my card and my Life Points. Radiant Will ensures that the opposing monster is destroyed in battle!"

There was a burst of energy, and the Headhuntress vanished. "I play one card facedown and end my turn."

Eriko was visibly angered. She seemed to be fuming at the ears. "My turn. Draw." She kept her words simple and bitter. "Time to end this. I activate Mystical Space Typhoon on your facedown!"

Hikaru's stomach churned with worry. And audible growl could be heard coming from inside. "Now I'll show you why you don't mess with me, Hikaru. I summon Jabberwocky to the field!" (3000/0) "He can only be summoned if I have a Vorpal Sword in the grave. Even then, he is returned to my hand at the end of the turn. Oh and I take 1000 damage every time that happens. But its all worth it for the massive attack power don't you say?"

It had a tall thin body, long wings, and a hideous face with huge slobbering lips and large round eyes.

"He'll be attacking you though, so I won't take any damage from his effect, seeing as this duel will be over by than." The large monster flew forth and crushed Maho Shoujo Emi between its claws.

H: 0

The blonde fell to her knees in disbelief. "I lost?"

"That was an excellent duel, both of you did well." Mrs. Kino told the girls. "And seeing as you both performed spectacularly, this makes it so much harder to choose. I'm sorry Hikaru, but I'm giving the lead role to Eriko. Would you like to be her understudy?

Hikaru nodded emotionlessly, like a zombie.

…

**Author's Note: And thus our short chapter ends for today. And fans of Nayuta and Ryou, don't worry, they'll get some more screen time soon. I'll be sure to include more duels for both of them.**


	11. Memories of Long Ago: Silver Zodiac

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX. Or ****Cthulhu****. **

**Kira here! Time for the new chapter. I figure it's about time we get to find out a little bit more about Yuu.**

…

Hikaru's heart was beating slowly. Her mind blocked out all the noise around her. Her own voice creamed inside her head, echoing like a cry in an empty hallway. _'You idiot! You promised Naota you'd get that part. He trusted you!'_

Ériko laughed like a villainous clown. Her high-pitched voice scratched at the back of Hikaru's mind, trying to get in. However, the girl's defeat devastated her so badly that she didn't notice. Eriko tried to throw in a few more jabs. "Don't worry too much about being a good understudy. I'll make sure to be there for the play. I wouldn't miss this chance to be in the spotlight."

"Naota, I'm so sorry."

…

Naota added a few of his new cards to his deck. "I need to call him up and say thanks," he said with a nod. "These cards are all awesome."

Haruka grinned. "Then why not include them all in your deck? Reaper on the Nightmare may be weak, but you can protect him well with your trap cards, can't you? So you wouldn't take too much damage while he is on the field, and he'd be attacking your opponent directly and getting rid of their cards."

"But I'd need to pull out Polymerization and get Spirit Reaper and Nightmare Horse first. Then I wouldn't be able to use Reaper on the Nightmare unless I had enough traps on the field to protect him."

Haruka placed her hands on her hips and let out a grunt of mild frustration. "I swear, sometimes you're too scared of losing to win. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. The sooner you can get your opponent's Life Points to hit 0, the sooner the duel ends. Once the duel is over, you're safe. So instead of just defending until it's over, sometimes you need to try to take the offensive."

"That's what Shield and Sword is for." Naota explained.

"But that's just one card." Haruka countered. "You won't always draw it in a duel. Sure, it lets you do a lot of damage, sometimes it's even enough to win. But it won't always pull through for you. It isn't fair to your deck to put the fate of the entire duel into one card."

"But, I don't like playing monsters in attack mode that often. I don't know why. I just feel scared when they're in attack mode and open to attacks." Naota hung his head low and hugged a pillow tightly to his chest.

"You're curling up right now," Haruka pointed out. "You're afraid of what's going to happen. You're afraid of life, afraid of the future. When you duel, you put a wall between yourself and danger. You want to shelter yourself from what's going to happen. I know it hurts, but you have to face the facts and enjoy life while it lasts."

Naota's eyes began to water. They stung a little. "But," his voice quivered. "I don't," he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Haruka hugged him tight, like she was hugging her best friend. "If you want to make your dreams come true before you die, you are going to have to act fast."

An English song began playing inside Haruka's tote bag.

_Come on and step out from the darkness_

_Walk into the sunlight_

_Scream those three words_

_You know them, right_

Her hand quickly dove in and fished out her cell phone. "Hello Ashton, what's up bro?"

"Ashton called? Tell him I said hi!" Naota's mood swung the other way quickly. He forced out the negative thoughts. "And thanks for the cards."

"Yeah, that's Naota. He says thanks for the cards and hi. Yeah, I'm trying to convince him to use the cards you sent him. He's still putting up a resistance. So why the sudden call, you sound like something's wrong."

Haruka paused for a moment. "Wow that sounds bad." She sounded worried.

"What's wrong?" Naota asked.

Haruka turned to Naota. "It's Hikaru's mom, she's in the hospital."

…

Nayuta offered Hikaru a hand. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's just a role. It's not like losing it is the end of the world."

"I know," Hikaru said softly. She still hadn't fully recovered from the defeat. "But I promised Naota I'd get the lead role."

"I'm sure he'll understand you did your best." Nayuta reasoned.

"But I got his hopes up." Hikaru was ready to break down in tears. "I promised him I'd get on TV so that our friend Yuu would see me."

"Wait, who is Yuu?" Nayuta asked. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't be sure."

"Yuu was our best friend when we were little. But we haven't seen him in years." Hikaru explained.

She was about to go further, but the PA began calling her name. "Hikaru Reinhardt, please report to the Chancellor's office. Hikaru Reinhardt please report to the Chancellor's office."

Eriko sneered. "Looks like somebody's in trouble."

…

They heard Hikaru's name on the PA and turned back to each other. Haruka was finishing her conversation with Ashton. "They just called her on the PA. I'm sure they're going to tell her. I'm going to go meet her and see if she's okay."

Haruka hung up. "I'll go make sure Hikaru is okay, I want you to be a good boy while I'm away. Can you manage that?" She teased.

Naota nodded. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but only one thing could escape his throat. "Hikaru."

…

Takuya laughed as he heard the news. "So Hikaru lost just as I expected." He turned to the duel spirit at his side. The creature was as tall as the building and as green as the forest trees, with a head that resembled an octopus. Its tentacles flailed wildly as if trying to grasp the air. Its wings spread out into the sky, casting a mysterious shadow on the ground below.

The creature simply nodded.

"Let's watch what happens next, my friend."

…

Naota shuffled the new cards into his deck and drew six. He ran through a duel in his head, seeing if he would be able to make use of Reaper on the Nightmare. "I play one card facedown." He set his monster onto the stand resting at his bed's side. "I set one card facedown and end my turn."

"There's someone here to see you." The nurse interrupted his mental game.

Naota gathered his cards quickly and turned toward his visitor. "Hi Nayuta, how did everything go? Is Hikaru okay?"

"Not really," Nayuta replied solemnly. "She couldn't get the part, and then she was called off to the Chancellor's office."

Naota forced a smile. "That's okay. I hope she isn't too worried for my sake. She did her best. I really shouldn't have asked so much of her. I was being selfish." He curled up into a ball and hugged his knees. "Anyway she'll probably need a friend really soon, someone who isn't an emotional wreck. She needs someone she can lean on, so that can't be me."

"Wait, what happened?" Nayuta asked. She felt her stomach going crazy with worry.

"It's her mom. She's in the hospital."

"Oh my God, what happened to her?" Nayuta's face was in shock.

"I'm not sure." Naota admitted.

"I'm going to go see if she's okay, but I'll be back to check on you soon." Nayuta rushed out the door.

Naota let out a broken laugh that rang throughout the room. The day was really starting to get to him. He rocked himself back to sleep.

…

A red sports car let out a loud shriek as spun out of control. Two children had been playing in the middle of the street, and the driver had been chatting away on his cell phone. He hadn't noticed the kids until it was almost two late. He hit the brakes and swerved, doing his best to avoid them. Naota tried to scream, but he couldn't make a sound. The car was going to hit him, but he couldn't move.

"Naota, look out!" Hikaru screamed. She rushed ran toward him, but she knew she would never make it in time.

Just when he thought it was all over for him, someone some one grabbed Naota's hand and pulled him to safety. Naota's heart skipped a beat and the fears pent up inside of him began to spill out as tears.

"Hey, don't cry," said his savior. "You're fine, so now we need to help the guy in the car." He pointed to the wreck. The car had slammed into a brick wall and knocked a small section over. The boy dashed over and opened the driver's door, offering the man a hand. He was visibly shaken, and obviously thankful for the help. "Do you have a cell phone to call 119? If not you can probably use my brother's phone, he should be around here somewhere. There he is."

He pointed at a taller boy across the street. He looked like he was around sixteen. He was tapping his foot angrily. "Yuu, get over here now. I swear to God I'm going to lose you and then mom and dad are going to kill me."

Yuu smiled innocently.

…

That was Naota's first meeting with the boy. But they would soon become best friends.

"So, you're going to go home after this and watch the Duel Academia School Play?" Naota asked. It was fall. Orange and yellow leaves were falling off the tress and gathering on the ground. They crunched beneath the children's feet as they walked.

"Yeah, I watch it every year," Yuu admitted. He took a large bite out of his chocolate bar and chewed quickly, like a mouse nibbling at its food. Hikaru covered her nose in disgust.

"What is that?" She asked. "It smells so bad."

"It's an ordinary chocolate bar," Yuu explained. "It just smells really strong, that's all."

Naota smiled as he watched his friend walk backwards through the street. He smiled.

"Hey, it's your birthday soon, isn't it?" Naota asked. "What are you asking your parents for?"

"Yep, and then I'll be eleven, just like you guys," Yuu answered. "As for what I'm asking for," he paused for a moment as the wind ran through his short silver hair. "I'm asking for a Duel Monsters Card."

"Just one?" Hikaru asked. "I'd ask for a whole deck. Your parents are rich so can't they afford to get you any deck hat you want?"

"They could," Yuu admitted. "But there's only one card I want to perfect my deck. Zodiac Mage Ophiuchus. It's the only one I'm missing and it's based on my favorite constellation." Yuu laughed happily. "Hey speaking of Duel Monsters, Naota, have you made a deck yet?"

The eleven-year-old nodded. "Yeah, Hikaru's been teaching me how to play."

"That's great, we should duel sometime. Let's head over to my house, the play doesn't start for a while." Yuu turned spun around to face forward. "Race you there."

Naota and Hikaru both ran as fast as they could, but neither of them could keep up with Yuu.

…

The inside of Yuu's house was quite beautiful. Expensive furniture decorated the room. Exotic rugs covered the floor. Beautiful paintings hung from the wall. It was an impressive display, to say the least.

"Hello, Yuu, I see you brought some friends with you," said the maid. "Would you like me to bring you some tea?"

"No thanks, Sayako." Yuu replied with a smile. "But could you bring us three Duel Disks, please?" He asked politely. It wasn't long before the maid came with three Duel Disks in her arms. She handed them out to the children.

"Thank you," the all said.

"Let me know if there is anything I can do for you." She said as she left the room.

"Wow," Naota said in awe. "You have real Duel Disks. I've always wanted one but they're so expensive."

"This is really cool," Hikaru admitted. "So how do we duel? Should we go for a three way free-for-all?"

"I was thinking we could do a triangle duel, the two of you against me," Yuu admitted.

"Heh," Hikaru laughed. "Naota may be new at this, but I'm nothing to laugh at. You'll regret those words soon enough."

The three children shuffled their decks. "It's time to duel!"

Yuu: 8000

Naota: 4000

Hikaru: 4000

"My turn!" Naota proudly declared. "I set two cards facedown and summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode." (1300/2000) Naota let out a gasp of wonder as the card sprang to life. "This is so cool."

Hikaru drew a card. "My turn!" She spun around like a ballerina. "I summon Maho Shoujo Emi to the field in attack mode!" (1200/1100) "So now I get to draw a card from my deck. Next I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Yuu smiled as he drew a card from the top of his deck. "I summon Zodiac Mage Cancer to the field in attack mode." (1300/1700) "When he's on the field I can Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand once per turn. So I Special Summon Zodiac Mage Aquarius!" (1200/1100) "Next I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two. He picked three cards off his deck and slipped two of them away. Then, I can use Aquarius's effect to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my grave, so I'll bring out Zodiac Mage Capricorn!" (1800/500) "Next I'll use his effect to move a Spellcaster from my deck to my hand. So I'm snatching Zodiac Mage Leo to my hand!"

The three cards all looked like slender humans wearing thick black robes. The only things telling them apart were the emblems on their chests. Each emblem was engraved with a carving of the constellation for which the card was named.

Hikaru smiled. "Sorry Yuu, but I know your cards weakness. I activate my Quickplay Spell card, Dimension Magic!" A metal coffin swallowed up Maho Shoujo Emi and spat out another young girl. "My Spell lets me sacrifice one monster to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand. So I'd like you to meet Asuka!" (1800/1000) The young girl twirled her staff playfully. "Next, I can destroy a monster on your side of the field! So say goodbye to Cancer. And when he goes, he takes any monster he Special Summoned with him. So that gets rid of Aquarius. And when Aquarius goes away, you lose any monster he summoned. So that clears your entire field of monsters!"

All three Zodiac Mages burst into dust.

Yuu smiled. "I activate my Quickplay Spell Card. Spellcaster's Legacy can only be activated when one of my Spellcasters is sent from the field to the grave. I can Special Summon a Spellcaster from my deck. And he gets 300 extra attack points for every Spellcaster sent from the field to the grave this turn."

Another robed figure rose from the depths of nothingness. "This is Zodiac Mage Virgo!" (1000/1000) "Her effect lets me remove a Spellcaster from my grave to boost my Life Points by that much. So I'm removing Aquarius!"

Yuu: 9200

A green sparkle showered Yuu as his Life Points rose. "Next I activate the Spell Card Double Summon so that I can perform an extra Summon this turn. So say hello to Zodiac Mage Leo!" (2000/0) "I can use his effect to Special Summon a Spellcaster that has been removed from play. So I'll be bringing back Aquarius! (1200/1100) "And since he can Special Summon a Spellcaster from my grave, I'll bring back Cancer!" (1300/1700) "Next I'll use his effect to Special Summon Zodiac Mage Sagittarius from my hand!" (1500/700)

"Go, Leo, attack Asuka!" Yuu ordered.

Naota smiled proudly, "I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to negate your attack."

"Sagittarius, what do we have to say about that?" Yuu asked quizzically.

Zodiac Mage Sagittarius fired a giant flaming arrow that shot through the Scar-Iron trap and hit Naota. The Scrap-Iron trap was destroyed, Naota was damaged and Leo showed Asuka with a magical light that had her exploding into dust.

Naota: 3500

Hikaru: 3800

"Once per turn my Sagittarius can negate and destroy a Spell or Trap that targets a Spellcaster and then deal 500 points of damage to my opponent." Yuu snapped his fingers. "Next I'll have Sagittarius attack your Giant Soldier of Stone while I activate my Quickplay Spellcard, Zodiac Starfall! I can only activate it if I have a Zodiac Mage on my side of the field. It gives all my Spellcasters a 200 point attack boost for every Zodiac Mage I control, but it lets them do trampling damage!" All of his monsters attacks zoomed up by 1000 points. Naota sighed, knowing that his facedown Iron Wall would be useless. The first attack came through. The Stine Soldier began to crumble as Naota's Life Points dropped.

Naota: 3000

"Now go, Virgo and Aquarius, attack Naota directly!" They fired off magical streams of light that merged into one and knocked Naota to the floor.

Naota: 0

"I'm alright," Naota promised.

"That's a relief," Yuu admitted. He turned to Hikaru. "Now go, cancer, attack her directly!" A stream of blue light washed over her and swept away over half her Life Points.

Hikaru: 1500

"I end my turn." Yuu watched his monsters' attacks drop.

"My turn," Hikaru warned. "I summon Maho Shoujo Chiyo to the field!" (1000/1000) "Her effect lets me grab a Spell from my deck. So I equip her with Axe of Despair to boost her attack points by 1000!"

"Big mistake," Yuu announced. "I can activate Sagittarius effect even during your turn!"

Hikaru was stunned by this revelation. A fiery arrow cut through her axe and reduced her Life Points by 500.

"I play three cards face down and end my turn." Hikaru wished she had used the facedown earlier, but she wanted to save them for an emergency. She was afraid a Heavy Storm would destroy them if she weren't careful. "Your move, Yuu."

The boy drew a card and smiled. "Sorry, but I think I'm going to end this. I activate Black Heart. Its effect lets me choose one Spellcaster on the field and have its attack doubled. There are a few drawbacks to using this, but that doesn't matter. See it has a unique effect that activates when negated. You see, if this card is negated, you take 500 points of damage. So I play Black Heart on my Cancer, and use Sagittarius' effect to negate it."

A hologram of the spell appeared on the field, only for a flaming arrow to shoot through it. The card released a black mist as it dissolved. Hikaru watched the mist hug the arrow as the arrow sped toward her, chopping through her Life Points.

Hikaru: 0

Hikaru fell to her knees in amazement. "That was awesome," she exclaimed. "I never knew your deck was that cool."

"Thanks," said Yuu. He let out a gentle giggle.

…

At that moment, Naota shot up in bed. His dream had been exactly the same as it had happened. It was one of the earliest duels he could remember, and one of the most amazing he had ever seen. Tears began to run down his face as he recalled all the fun he had with Yuu.

…

**Well, its bed time now. See ya!**

**Anyway I hope that flashback dream didn't bore you too much. ^^ It felt a little awkward to me.**


	12. A Simple Counterattack

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or 5D's or Cthulhu or Jabberwocky or .hack

Lol I just realized I switched between Vorpal Sword and Blade…ehh not the best duel ever…sorry it's late and I'm sleepy and my creative juices for duels have been drained…..

…

Ryou quivered nervously, like a wounded soldier marching "I activate Ojama Trio to give you three Ojama Tokens," he called out. The trap interacted with his DNA Surgery. Three sunflowers bloomed on his opponent's field and sprouted three plant-like creatures. One was yellow, another green, and the final was black. "Next I activate my facedown Meteorain to let my monsters do piercing damage," he revealed a new trap card. "So I'll have my Rose Tentacles attack your tokens."

As his opponent's Life Counter ran to 0 he could only think one thing. _'I wish Emi was here.'_

"Grrr, you got lucky," insisted the defeated first year. He scrambled away in embarrassment. "I swear to Ra, someone is going to take you down. You keep acting like you're better than everyone, but you're not."

Ryou's heart sank. "But I don't act like I think I'm better than anyone else. At least, I don't mean to."

He decided to head back to the dorm. It was still early and the sun was bright, but he didn't feel like doing anything. Three people had already challenged him to duels. He'd beaten them all effortlessly and they all delivered the same response. "Someone will beat you!"

'_Why do they all hate me so much?' _He wondered.

"Hey you're Ryou!" A voice interrupted his thoughts.

Ryou turned to see a young first year girl wearing an Obelisk Blue uniform. She had short red hair and a pale face. She continued to deliver her challenge. "You're that loser who thinks he's better than everyone. I hear you won't talk to anyone when they try to make friends with you!" She growled angrily.

'_But that's because I'm shy,' _he thought. Ryou opened his mouth to say something, but the girl was too fast for him.

"I'll show you just how good you are," the girl spat. Her hand jumped to her deck like a snake lunging at lunch. She sounded angry. She was hiding her true intentions easily. _'Ryou Misaki, your biggest weakness is your lack of confidence. The Organization has its hands on most of the school. We just need to keep sending wave after wave of duelist after you until you crack under pressure. You think everyone's judging you. Well, we're bringing your worst nightmare to life.'_

"Sorry, I don't feel like dueling," Ryou said solemnly.

"Why, are you chicken?" The girl sneered. She strained not to smile when she saw Ryou squirm. "You're afraid you can't beat me, and you don't want the rest of the school finding out how weak you are."

"Get over yourself; he just doesn't see you as worth the time. He doesn't need to squash every cockroach that comes his way." Nayuta approached the girl. She wore a frown that would make clowns cry. "If you want then I'll duel you. My Velonica Deck is tough and if you can beat it than maybe you'll have proven yourself worthy to be crushed by Ryou's plants."

The girl let out a small purr of annoyance and scoffed at the idea. "I'm a Blue and you're Yellow. Do the math. You aren't worth my time." She turned and walked away.

"Now who's the coward?" Shouted Nayuta. She balled her hands into fists and stomped her foot. "I will not hit others because they are complete morons," she reminded herself.

"…thanks," whispered Ryou.

"No problem. After all, we're friends right?" Nayuta switched moods instantly, like an IPOD playing the next song. She smiled brightly at Ryou. He smiled back. "So what are you up to?"

"I was just heading back to the dorm," Ryou told her.

"Wanna come with me?" Nayuta asked. "Hikaru asked me to get something for her. She isn't feeling well; her mom's been in an accident." Nayuta's face turned dark. "Emi showed up and said she suspected the Orgy's involvement. I can't believe they have that much power or that they would stoop so low."

"They're really horrible people," Ryou decided.

"They're trying to control everything," Nayuta said angrily. "They think they know us inside and out. They're treating us like puppets they can just play with. I, I want to beat them at their own game. Let's launch an offensive for the once. You know, lure them into a trap. It will show them that they need to be more careful when they're messing around with us."

"…" Ryou wanted to say something, but his stomach was in turmoil. His heart wanted to say yes and join in on the plan, but it lacked the courage.

"But I don't think I'm strong enough, I'll need your help Ryou."

He forced himself to nod.

…

"Hehehe," Takuya laughed. "The Organization's plans are all moving according to schedule. They really think they've got everything under control." He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, just to himself. He stretched out on the grass beneath a tall oak tree. He let time pass and enjoyed the birds' melodies. "I can't wait for the good stuff to begin."

Cthulhu listened wordlessly.

Takuya suddenly sat up. "Cthulhu-sama, do you feel something?" He rose to his feet and began walking into the forest, heading toward the waterfall.

"I feel a dark presence."

Cthulhu followed.

…

"So what's the plan?" Ryou asked.

"I'm working on it," Nayuta admitted. She dug through Hikaru's closet, searching for the item she had requested. "I figure we get them to attack you on out terms, but we make them think they're in charge. Then we let them know that they're in our web. From what I can tell they're control freaks, and they won't like being manipulated like that." She pulled out a tangled mess of wires and cords. The closet held dusty video games mixed with old books and random junk. "Hey what's this?" She wondered. She grabbed a golden trophy and examined it carefully. "Hikaru Reinhardt 1st Place in the Midnight Duel Tournament?" She gently put it away and decided she'd ask about it later.

"Is this it?" Ryou asked. He pulled out a stuffed Teddy Bear. It wasn't a part of the mess. It had been safely stowed away on top of a cardboard box.

"Yeah, thanks!" Nayuta grabbed it quickly. "She asked me to bring her the Teddy Bear she had in her closet." It had soft brown fur and wore a red ribbon. "Let's get this to her real quick."

…

Takuya stared in wonder at the being before him. It had started as a cloud of dark smoke, but it slowly took the form of a human male. He had short brown hair and pale blue eyes. He wore a black shirt with blue jeans and a purple cape tied around his neck. He carried a Duel Disk that looked like an angel's wing.

"Duel," he said simply.

Takuya wasted no time and readied his disk.

**Takuya: 4000**

**????: 4000**

The stranger drew six cards. "I summon Shadow Templar-Antagonize in defense mode."

Takuya grinned wildly.

…

Hikaru sat in a chair at the office. She didn't want to move. "Mom, please be safe," she whimpered. Her mother's car had been hit by a semi going 20 miles over the speed limit. The doctors said her chances weren't that great. "This is all my fault," she whispered. "The Organization did this, I know they did. All to mess with me."

"Don't worry, Hikaru," Haruka gave her cousin a hug. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence. There's no way this Organization could be that powerful."

"Yes they could," Hikaru managed to say. "Yes they could."

The door opened slowly. "Hikaru, I fond it," Nayuta said gently. She walked in the room slowly and gave Hikaru time to dry her eyes.

"Thanks," she said as she grabbed the Teddy Bear. She turned it around and tugged on a hidden zipper. She pulled out a black card case and grabbed the card inside. "This Teddy bear and this card were both gifts from Yuu," she explained. "It's a powerful card. I was saving it incase I ever needed to reinforce my deck to surprise anyone. I guess I better add it in now." She held the card tightly to her chest. Her voice gained a newfound strength. "Genesis of Light- Shiki." She added the card to her deck. "Now I need to go tell Naota I didn't get the lead," her voice lost its temporary resolve.

"About that," Nayuta smiled. "Come with me. Oh, but first, could I borrow your Kurinin."

…

"I attack you directly and win," Takuya said coolly.

**Takuya: 6500**

**????: 0**

The holograms quickly vanished. "So tell me," began Takuya. "What brings you here, my dear Ender?"

"I come for Naota," he whispered. His voice sounded faint and faded, as if he was speaking through television static.

The sounds of the gushing waterfall accentuated the creature's eerie nature. His slow and unnatural breathing pattern sounded vaguely like failed attempt to imitate a human's breathing.

"Be careful," Takuya warned. "He has powerful friends. They won't let you get to him so easily."  
"They matter not," said Ender. "If they stand in my way, I will crush them. All I care about is the boy and the darkness in his heart." Ender slowly walked away.

…

Ryou waited nervously, wondering if they're plan could possibly work. _'There's no way word of mouth would operate this quickly. I just need to be a little patient.'_ He sat down in the cafeteria, munching away at a bag of Cheetos.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here, Ryou." Eriko approached his table. "I hear that you wanted to do something for your friend Hikaru, right?" She dangled the bait.

"Y-yeah, she wanted the lead role in the school play. But you got that, right?" Ryou felt like puking even more than before. He knew he was walking on a thin line and he felt very drunk. He had to be convincing.

"Yes, I beat her pathetic excuse of a Deck in a Duel," Eriko taunted. "She didn't stand a chance."

Ryou started to get up and walk away. "Sorry, but I'm not feeling so well."

"Too bad, I really wanted to duel you. I was even willing to make a deal. If you win then I'll give the lead role to your friend Hikaru. But if I win, then you have to tell the entire school that you're a pathetic loser."

Ryou pretended to consider it for a while.

"Fine, I guess you don't care about your friend enough to take the risk. Either that or you know you'll lose."

"I-I'll do it," Ryou said.

…

Sora smiled. "Progress has been going smoothly lately. We have been perfecting our techniques and now we're able to convert more students to our side without the side effects," he said as he smiled.

Mr. Ayanami grinned as well. "And how go the attempts to convert Ryou?"

"We've been wearing him out with duel after duel against some of our better members." Sora explained. "And right now we've got him in our trap. You see, he wants to help his friend Hikaru get the lead role in the school play, so Eriko used it as her ante in a duel. When she beats him, she'll not only have the entire school laughing at him, he'll have let down a friend. That combined with our powers will make him go mad."

…

Ryou faced Eriko on the stage. A crowd had naturally gathered to watch.

Ryou grabbed enough cards to make a hand. "I set one card facedown and summon Night-Rose Knight!" (1000/1000) A small warrior appeared on the stage. She had black armor, a white cape, and a beautiful sword. "She lets me Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Plant monster from my hand, so I play Phoenixian Seed." (800/0) "And I sacrifice my seed for Phoenixian Cluster- Amaryllis!" (2200/0) A beautiful red, white, and pink flower sprouted up from the ground. "I end my turn."

Eriko thought her options over. "I am so going to enjoy watching you squirm." She held a card high in the air. "I summon Lovely Assassin to the field!" (1700/300) "I send the top two cards from my deck to the removed from play zone to boost her attack to 2300. Now as much as I want to attack your flower, I know your knight won't let me. So I'll get that twerp out of the way first. Go, Stealth Dagger Backstab!"

Lovely Assassin vanished for a moment and reappeared behind the knight, plunging a dagger into the unsuspecting card's heart.

**Ryou: 2700**

"Your move, flower boy." Eriko waited for Ryou's attack.

'_She left herself wide open. I can crush her assassin easily, and direct attack her with another monster. But maybe she's counting on me to think that. I wonder if her card has a hidden effect." _Ryou grabbed a new card for his hand. "I summon Lord Poison!" (1500/1000) "Go, my Cluster, attack the Assassin."

The Phoenixian Cluster showered the Assassin with seeds that burst into flame.

**Eriko: 3500**

"My Assassin takes her revenge by destroying your Lord Poison!" Eriko announced. Her eyes glittered with delight as she watched Lord Poison burst into flames.

"I end my turn," Ryou announced. Suddenly, his Cluster died like an ember in the wind. "If my Cluster attacks, then it's destroyed during the endphase, and you take 800 damage."

**Eriko: 2700**

All that was left to protect Ryou was a single facedown hologram.

Eriko smiled. "I'm only getting warmed up. I summon Twin Blader- Rita to the field." (900/900) She had long black hair, wore roller skates and a red tank top with jeans, and carried two knives. "When she attacks you directly, the top two cards of your deck are removed from play. And she can attack twice in one turn. Go, direct attack number one."

"I activate my trap card, Soil Spurt. By removing one plant in my grave from play, I can draw one card from my deck. If that card is a plant, then I get to Special Summon it." Ryou bowed his head to the God of Luck. He flipped his top card. "I Special Summon Gigaplant!" (2400/1200)

Realizing she had been overpowered, Eriko let out a small grunt. "I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

Ryou made it to his next turn. _'Where is Nayuta?' _He wondered.

"I Gemini Summon Gigaplant and use his effect to revive my Lord Poison."(1500/1000) "Rather than attack, I'll play it safe and end my turn, which means I can remove my Lord Poison from play to Special Summon my Cluster in defense mode." (2200/0)

Eriko grunted, knowing the trouble that would come from destroying that. _'Damn it, when will it get here?' _She drew her card and smiled. "I discard one card from my hand to activate Lightning Vortex and blast away all your monsters!"

A lighting storm blasted the plants away. The Cluster's seeds once more bombarded Eriko. "And the card I discarded was Vorpal Blade! So now I can normal summon Jabberwocky!" (3000/0) "Attack him directly and win."

'_How did she get that?' _Ryou wondered. _'That card was never supposed to be released!' _He saw the monster rushing toward him and reached for his card. "I Special Summon Kurinin to the field to blast away your monster." (300/200)

The tiny ninja took the field and sliced Jabberwocky with a giant shuriken.

"You have one of those too," Eriko grunted. She was disappointed that the battle wasn't over yet.

"Actually, he borrowed it from me," Hikaru explained. She walked toward the stage with Nayuta at her side.

Eriko grunted. "I activate Card of Sanctity, allowing us both to draw until we have six cards in our hands." Eriko's new hand brought with it new possibilities. "I activate Cosmic Meteor Shot. It forces us to remove the top five cards of our decks from play." Ryou grunted as some of his best cards vanished. "Then I'll use my facedown Vanishing Trick to remove my own Twin Blader from play and send the top two cards of your deck into a Different Dimension. Next up is Emergency Summon. While you control a monster and I have none, I can activate this card to Special Summon any monster in my hand. So say hello to Grand Beauty Headhuntress. (1600/800) "She gets 400 attack points for every card of yours that has been removed from play. (4800/800) "Your move."

Ryou trembled as he drew a card.

"Sorry Ryou, give up now," Eriko taunted. "You are going to lose; you can't help your friend out after all. I guess you aren't as good a friend as you thought."

"Shut up," Nayuta said bluntly. "First off, don't act like this is al going according to your plans. Do you think that you can break Ryou this way? Well, guess what?" She grabbed a tape recorder in her pocket and pressed play.

"So here's the plan," her voice said. "We go walking around talking about how much you want to help Hikaru get the role. Eriko will duel you for it. So then you beat her, and Hikaru gets the role. It's as simple as that."

The recording stopped.

Eriko was trembling in fear. "B-but that can't be. We had this figured out. We challenged you on our terms." She was obviously referring to the Organization at this point.

'_Just as I thought,' _Nayuta said in her head. _'The Orgy operates by breaking people. So, they're still broken while a part of the Orgy. This means, if we can find what makes each member tick, then we get to fight fire with fire.'_

"I summon Mia to the field!" (200/200) "And I discard one card to take control of your Headhuntress and attack you directly!"

The beautiful maiden betrayed her master. In one swift motion, she drew her sword and spun around.

**Eriko: 0**

"Go, Ryou, go, Ryou!" The crowd cheered.

Eriko began to laugh like a maniac who had just snapped. "Ahahahaha, this is great. It was all for nothing. I thought I had Hikaru and Ryou right where I wanted them. But they turned the tables. Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, we'll never find Skeith this way." She pounded the ground with both fists. "At this rate, I'll never get anywhere," she said with tearing eyes. She was mumbling to herself at this point. "I thought I was good enough but I'm not. I just wanted to go pro. Just wanted to go pro. I tried talking to some managers but they said I'm not good enough."

Hikaru froze. _'Eriko wasn't good enough? But, she beat me. Does that mean I don't have what it takes to go pro? Wait, no, I still have some time.' _Despite this rational conclusion, she was still worried.

Eriko kept mumbling. "They said we could find, find Sk-eith. We could find it and everything would be all right. We could find Skeith. They said we find Skeith and everything we ever wanted would be ours- and I could go Pro. Just had to find Skeith."

Her words began to slur into a drunken mess.

"What is Skeith?" Ryou asked nervously.

"I believe Hikaru can answer that," said an emotionless voice.

"Emi!" Ryou cheered as he ran to his friend.


	13. Target Nayuta: Break the Shield

Disclaimer: I do _**NOT**_ own any of this. Not Yu-Gi-Oh, Cthulhu, Xena, GX, or .hack//whatever. Also, I don't own the songs that I used to name Nayuta's cards.

God someone is going to kill me for some of the cards I made up.

…

The group, sans Naota, had gathered in Emi's room to talk. Hikaru sat on Emi's bed to gather her thoughts. "I don't know much about Skeith, only what I heard from Yuu. He once told me about something called the End Octogram."

…

**Flashback**

"The End Octogram? What is that?" Naota asked curiously. He took a sip of his grape Juicy-Juice and smiled. He waited for Yuu's answer.

"It's a series of eight Duel Monster cards," said the silver haired boy. 'They're all supposed to be really powerful. They have blanket immunity to effects from outside the Octogram and each comes with three effects. You see, during your turn you can discard a Spell, Trap, or Monster to activate one of those effects. At least, those are what the rumors say. Nobody has actually seen these cards since they were supposedly sealed away years ago."

"Why were they sealed up?" Hikaru asked. She leaned forward in an effort to hear well.

"Well, supposedly they're very powerful Duel Spirits with the ability to shake the foundation of the world. Of course, these are only rumors. If anything, they were most picked up by collectors or something." He let out a sigh of longing. "One day I'm going to go on a quest to find them all. Even if they aren't real, I'll have fun just looking for them."

Naota looked deep into Yuu's eyes. "Will you take me with you?" He asked.

"Of course. There are eight of them so it will take a while to find them all. It will be nice to have company."

"So what cards are in the Octogram?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, I only know a few of them. Skeith-the Terror of Death, Cthulhu-Cosmic Horror, Xena Warrior Princess," Yuu stopped so Naota could laugh. "They're all named after characters from fiction. He explained. Some of them are surprisingly considering their origins."

**End Flashback**

…

"Wait, what did he mean about the Octogram being able to shake the foundation of the world?" Nayuta asked.

"I have no clue," Hikaru admitted. "But after everything I've seen lately, I wouldn't be surprised if they do have that power."

Ryou raised his hand. "I don't mean to interrupt, but," he gathered his words in his head. "I think we've got another problem to worry about. When I fought Eriko she used a card called Jabberwocky."

Hikaru cringed. She hated that card.

"Yeah, that thing was powerful, but I don't se the problem," Nayuta responded. "After all, you managed to beat it with Kurinin's help."

"That thing was an experimental card," Ryou explained. "The Duel Monsters Research and Development Team wanted to test the limits of a card's power. They designed a 5-Star Monster with 3000 attack points and a few drawbacks to balance it. But there were two problems. First, they accidentally made it a 4-Star monster. Second, they tested its power and determined that it was still a little too strong. So instead of fixing the mistake they locked it up in a vault."

"Wait, how do you know this?" Nayuta asked. "And how the Hell did Eriko get a card that was supposed to be locked up like that?"

"I- I've been to visit them once," Ryou admitted. "And, well, as for how she got it, well, ummm, that's what I'm worried about."

Before they could discus anything further, Hikaru's cellphone began to ring.

"Hello, Hikaru," said the teacher on the phone. "It's Mrs. Kino. I heard Ryou's duel with Kiriko. She dropped out of the play, so the role is open for you. Of course, I understand if you're not up to it at the moment."

"No, I'd be thrilled to be in the play." Hikaru admitted. "I want my mom to be able to see, she always loved this school's plays." Hikaru smiled. _'Of course, she isn't the only one I want to see me.' _Her mind went blank for a moment. "When is rehearsal?" She asked.

…

Hiroaki slammed his fists on the table. "Damn it, we were all so close. We had Hikaru and Naota both in our grasps and we were about to get Ryou. But that bitch Nayuta had to mess everything up! Grr," he dialed a number on his phone. "Amber, we need your skills. Your target is Nayuta. Don't bother trying to convert her. Eliminate her."

…

"Raven Blaster-Zelkova, finish him off with a direct attack," Morganna ordered. "Tsukinoki no Mai!" She watched as her blue haired warrior spun around and unleashed a whirl of black energy from his beautifully decorated scythe.

"Ughhhh," her opponent cried as he lost the duel. A green glow surrounded his body and he fell to the ground. His motionless body rested in the grass.

"Hmph, that's what you get for trying to attack me. I hope for your sake that a student finds you and takes you to the nurse."

Morganna sighed. _'Damn it, you idiots. Hurry up and move forward already. You have what you need. Go and find Skeith so that I can sweep in and take him for myself, then I'll use his power to crush you all.'_

She walked through the forest at a slow pace, trying to empty her mind. She focused on the sound of the gushing waterfall in the distance. She walked toward it, following a hunch that was building in her gut. "I sense a force beyond any I've felt before." She grabbed her deck and fanned through it. "Maybe I should add in _those _cards just in case." She grabbed two cards from a side pocket and slipped them in with her other cards. "I have a feeling that I'm about to run into someone powerful."

…

"I have to go now," Ryou said with a polite bow. "I promised sensei I'd help her clean the classroom," he took off quickly, leaving Nayuta and Emi all alone.

"So, what have you been up to lately?" Nayuta asked.

"I've been investigating the Organization and the way they work. It seems that their power operates like a virus. When one person uses it on another, that person can gain the power himself. They use their powers to amplify human feelings of anxiety and worthlessness and break a person's sanity."

"So basically they make everyone emo," Nayuta complained.

"If you want to put it tike that, then sure," Emi sweat dropped.

"So, do you have any clue if they're involved with Hikaru's mom?" Nayuta frowned angrily. She looked ready to dish out severe punishment to the responsible party. She waited for an answer.

"Members of the Organization made phone calls to the same man who hit her car," Emi explained. "I am certain that they are responsible for this."

Nayuta's eyes angrily glanced at the wall. She punched it with a fist. "Damn them," she shouted. "Damn them to Hell." She slowly slumped to the floor. "We have to do something about them soon. But what?"

Emi was silent. "I'm not sure. I keep looking into things but I can't figure out who their leader is. If we could find the one on top, we could go directly to the source and crush the entire Organization easily."

Nayuta forced a smile. "Hahahaha," she laughed. "Okay, that's it. We find someone on the bottom of the list and we use their own game against them. We find their weakness and extract the info we need. Then we crush the Orgy."

"Do you really want to fight fire with fire?" Emi asked. "Do you really want to stoop as low as crushing people's hearts?"

"If we don't end this soon, who knows what happens next?" Nayuta asked.

"You're right," Emi admitted. She stood up quickly. "I'll be on my way then." She walked away. Her dark blue cape trailed behind her. "I will see what I can do."

…

Morganna slowly walked toward the waterfall. "Hello Takuya, I did not expect to see you here."

"What? Do you think that just because I'm an Osiris I can't be the source of the powerful aura you felt? Sorry, but that aura is mine." He explained.

Morganna gave him an angry glare. "If you hold that much power then why do you hide it?"

"I hide my power because I have no reason to make my move just yet. You see, I'm just waiting for my turn. Then when it comes, I'll set a trap."

"Just what are you planning?" Morganna demanded.

"The same thing as you," Takuya answered. "I'm waiting for the Orgy to get Skeith, and then I'm going to swoop in and steal it. Of course this means I'll be racing you, but I think I can manage that."

"How about we settle this with a duel?" Morganna suggested. She readied her deck for battle.

Takuya laughed louder than a hyena. "You think that will settle anything? Either way, we'll still be after Skeith. So my response is no. We'll go about on our merry ways and cross swords later." He got up to leave. "But I'm glad you found me. I have one piece of advice. Beware the Lunatic Princess. She's on to me and she probably knows what you're up to as well."

"Why are you warning me if we're enemies?" Morganna questioned.

"I figure if you can get rid of that bitch then it saves me the trouble."

…

Nayuta walked sleepily toward her dorm. "Man, I didn't realize how long I'd been in the gift store trying to figure out what to get Hikaru and Naota. Damn it, I never did pick anything." She hungrily munched on a stick of milk flavored Pocky. She shivered as the cold night air nipped at her face. "I can't believe it's already so late."

"Hehehe," a voice laughed.

"Who's there?" Nayuta demanded. She looked around but couldn't see anyone. She had spent hours in the gift shop and everyone had apparently returned to their dorms.

"You may call me Amber the Maniac." The voice answered. She stepped out from under the nearby tree. "Or you can call me Death if you prefer. It's all the same to me."

Amber had long brown hair and wore an Obelisk Blue uniform with a black jacket tied on like a cape.

"Let me guess, you're part of the Orgy aren't you?" Nayuta rolled her eyes. "And you're probably here to try to break me, but give it up. It won't work against me. I'm too angry to go emo right now."

"Oh believe me; we were working on ways to break you. Given enough time, we would have driven you over the edge and made you into one of our finest warriors. But we don't have the time. You've become too much of a threat. Powerful swords like Emi are easy enough to ignore. But, you managed to become a shield to protect your friends. We lost a lot of progress because of you, so now we're planning to eliminate you."

Amber activated her Duel Disk and let a powerful green light surround the duo. "There is no escaping now, Nayuta. It is time to..."

"I summon Velonica Soldier," Nayuta nonchalantly interrupted the villain speech. A puddle formed on her field and shape shifted into a solid soldier. (12000/1000) "My card's effect allows me to grab any card from my deck and add it to my hand- as long as the word Velonica is mentioned in it's text. "So I'm grabbing Houki Boshi Blade and giving it to my Soldier." A black sword appeared in the warrior's hand, quickly boosting his attack. (1900/1200) "He gets 700 attack points. And since he's a Velonica card, he'll get 100 more for each Velonica Card in my graveyard! Next, I activate Fighting Dreamers. This card boosts my Velonica Card's attacks by 300 during my battle phase and increases any of my card's attacks by 500 during your battle phase. "I set one card and end my turn," Nayuta finished.

Amber drew.

"So," she began. "If my math is correct, then that monster should have 2400 attack points during my battle phases and 2200 during yours. Tch, that is troublesome, but not impossible to deal with. I summon Amber Unicorn to the field in attack mode." (1700/1200) A beautiful unicorn with brown fur galloped into action. Its horn sparkled brightly in the moonlight. "Amber Unicorn, use your effect to switch that Soldier into defense mode. Go, Amber Thunderspark." A bolt of lightning shot out from the creature's horn. Velonica Soldier struggled to escape its influences, but after being hit it became helpless against the unicorn's powers. "Now, Amber Thunder Gallop!" The unicorn charged forward and impaled the Soldier with its horn, shattering it easily."

**Nayuta: 3300**

"So I assume your monster has a piercing effect." Nayuta smiled. "Well, that doesn't matter; losing a few Life Points never hurt anyone too badly. My monster on the other hand, you'll have to pay for that."

"I end my turn," Amber announced. "So go ahead and do your worst."

Nayuta gripped her next card tightly, and yanked it off with gentle ferocity. "I summon Blue Bird to the field! She may not have Velonica in her name, but she's still a Velonica card, just to warn you." Nayuta cheered softly. (1700/1300) The card looked like a beautiful bluebird. "She gets 100 attack for each Spell or Trap on the field, and 300 extra if any of them have Velonica in their name. So that's 200 for the two cards, 300 for Fighting Dreamers, and then 300 more _from_ Fighting Dreamers! Attack! Blue Featherstorm!" (2500/1300)

Amber Unicorn was lost in a flurry of feathers.

**Amber: 3500**

"Since a card with Amber in its name was just destroyed, and I have no other cards on the field, I can Special Summon Amber Dragon from my hand!" A brown colored Chinese Dragon descended on the playing field from the sky above. It twisted around the area three times just so its body could fit. "He gets 1000 attack and defense for every Amber Card in my grave." (1000/1000)

"Your move," Nayuta growled.

Amber chuckled. She knew that Blue Bird would have 2700 attack points during the battle phase, but it didn't matter. "I draw," she narrated. Fate kindly gave her the card she was hoping to get. "I set one card facedown and summon Amber Witch!" (1000/1000) The card looked a lot like Amber, only she wore a beautiful black robe. "I can send the top card of my grave to the deck to remove one spell on the field from play, so say good bye to your facedown."

Amber Witch fired a small fireball at her target.

"Now so fast," Nayuta quickly activated her card before it could be lost in the dancing flames. I activate my trap card, Eraser Rain. You take 1000 Points of damage. Of course, I take damage too, but I can reduce the original 1000 points by 200 for each Velonica Card I control. Since I have three I end up taking only 400 points of damage in the end!"

Streaks of red rain fell to the Earth causing a series of massive explosions. Both players saw their Life Points drop.

**Nayuta: 2900**

**Amber: 2500**

"I end my turn," Amber said with a smile. "Oh and before I forget, the card I sent to the graveyard was a second Amber Unicorn, so my Dragon has 2000 attack points."

Nayuta grabbed her next card. _'I wonder why she didn't go after Fighting Dreamers. Does she have something in store for my monster?' _She played another monster from her hand. "Come on out, Velonica Scientist!" (1500/1300) The Scientist immediately began mixing chemicals and created a beautiful explosion of purple and pink smoke. "With my new cards effect, all my Velonica Cards gain 200 extra attack for every Velonica Card!"

Amber began doing the math.

**Blue Bird: 1700 + 100 + 300 + 300 + 600 = 3000**

**Velonica Scientist: 1500 + 300 + 600 = 2400**

Things would start looking very bad during the battle phase.

"Go, Bluebird, attack her Dragon!" Nayuta commanded.

"Sorry, but I use my Permanent Trap Amber Pitfall to switch your bird into defense mode." She began wishing she had something in store for that dumb Scientist.

"Well, looks like I'll have to let my Velonica Scientist finish the job, show us your Science Show!" A brilliant explosion blew the dragon to pieces. "Your move," Nayuta chuckled.

Amber drew a card. "I activate the Spell Card Amber Fossil Excavation. I can Normal Summon Amber Monsters from the grave during my turn, so say hello to my Dragon!" (2000/2000) "Next my Witch uses her effect. Sorry, but your Fighting Dreamers has _got _to go."

Nayuta saw the Dragon's attack go up and assumed that Amber had sent another Amber card to her grave.

Nayuta's monsters lost a significant amount of attack points.

"Next," Amber began, "I can activate Amber Overwrath since I have three Amber cards in my grave. "This card allows me to send any number of Amber Cards on the field to the grave to give my Amber Dragon the pierce effect for the turn. So say good bye to Pitfall, Excavation, and Witch and say hello to the end!" Amber Dragon's attack climbed to 7000. "Now don't worry, there's a reason she gets so much attack from each card. Whenever she attacks I have to remove tow Amber Cards in my graveyard from play, but that still leaves her with enough strength to crush you. Go, Amber Genocide!"

The dragon unleashed a ferocious energy blast from her mouth. Nayuta's Blue Bird disintegrated in the stream of energy, and her Life Points whittled down to 0.

A green glow began surrounding her body, and Nayuta felt her vision fading away. "What's happening?' She wondered.

"I'm stealing your soul," Amber explained. "After that, I'm going to kill you."

For the first time that night, Nayuta grew worried.

But nothing happened. The green glow simply vanished.

"Don't those fools realize that not everyone can harness the dark powers well enough to use them?" Asked a new voice. "With no training, your abilities can easily be broken by anyone with the slightest idea how they work. It's why Emi and I have been able to stop your soul stealing before."

Amber turned around and saw a young woman standing behind her. "You, you're the Lunatic Princess!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on my little sister," the newcomer explained. "And I'm here to help, if she asks for it."

Nayuta perked up.

"Help me, Eirin!"

"It's time to duel," said the Lunatic Princess.


	14. Overpowered and Outclassed

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX, oh and I don't own the song Invisible Full Moon….or Cthulhu

---

Eirin faced Amber and smiled. "I hope you don't mind that I'm using my custom duel disk."

**Eirin: 4000**

**Amber: 4000**

The disk looked normal enough, but once it activated, the field began to change. Grass sprouted at their feet and a full moon hung in the sky. It all looked like it was drawn with crayons. "It has zero effect on the duel," Eirin explained. "But it changes the battlefield to this lovely scene. Even during the middle of the day it will make it look like night."

"I'll go first," Amber began. "I'll open up with Card Destruction to send all our cards in our hands to the graveyard. Of course, we replace them with new ones." She slipped away five cards in exchange for five new ones. "Next I play two cards face down and summon Amber Dragon in attack mode." (4000/4000) "Your move."

"It looks like I have to deal with that thing already," Eirin sighed. "I activate soul Release to remove the top five cards of your graveyard from play." Spirits rushed through the night and plundered Amber's graveyard, carrying lost souls with them to the great beyond.

"You witch!" Amber screamed as her Dragon's attack points dropped to nothing.

"Hmm, that's Lunatic Witch to you," Eirin corrected. "I summon Lunarian Rabbit to the field!" (1200/600) A cute white rabbit appeared at the Lunatic Princess' feet. "Next I activate Double Summon to bring out another Lunarian Rabbit." (1200/600)

"What next, they start breeding and summon tokens or something?" Amber scoffed.

"You're half right. But you're forgetting that these are Lunarian Rabbits." Eirin grabbed a spell card. "I activate Mochi Pounding. This card gives me one Lunarian Mochi Token (0/0) for each Lunarian Rabbit I have on the field. However, that's not all. It's a continuous spell, so I get more during each of my Standby Phases." Two blobs of mochi joined the bunnies. "Not that it will matter in a second."

"Wait; are those things in attack mode? Amber asked. The Mochi Tokens looked like they were ready to fight.

"They are," Eirin answered. "I activate Invisible Full Moon!" The fake moon vanished from the sky.

Nayuta smiled. "Go sis!" She cheered.

"This card increases the attack of the monsters on my field and makes it so that you can not activate traps when they attack. There are certain restrictions to it of course, but none apply at the moment."

All of Eirin's monsters received 500 extra attack points. "Everyone, attack." Eirin snapped her fingers, and the monsters fell on Amber.

Lunarian Rabbit number one crushed the Dragon, dealing 1700 points of damage.

**Amber: 2300**

The rest of Eirin's forces attacked her directly. Amber's Amber Pitfall and Mirror Force both waited helplessly as Amber's Life Points dropped to 0.

**Amber: 0**

The crayon grass vanished.

"Hmmm, I didn't even get to use my man card," Eirin lamented.

"That was," Amber gasped in shock. "No way, I can't believe I lost."

"I am the Lunatic Princess," Eirin explained. "I am one of the school's top duelists. Tell your friends that if they ever try to harm my sister again, they better send someone with a good life insurance policy."

Amber scrambled away as quickly as she could.

Eirin turned to Nayuta. "I understand your desire to help your friends, but what you're doing is very dangerous. I want you to come with me. We're going to improve your deck and start training you. If you want to keep this up, then I'm going to make sure you're as safe as can be."

"Right," Nayuta said with a nod.

…

Naota flipped through the pages of his manga. _'I wonder how Hikaru is doing. She called to tell me that things are going well with the play, but that was a while ago. I hope she isn't pushing herself because of me. I mean, her mom was just in an accident, I'm sure she wants to rest.'_

Naota looked around the empty room. Haruka had already left and now she was sleeping in an Obelisk Blue room specially reserved for guests.

The door suddenly burst open and a man in darted inside. A black cloak covered him so Naota couldn't see his face. "Who are you?" The frightened boy demanded.

"…" The man remained silent. He reached out his hand and slapped Naota on the back of his head. The young student's vision faded.

The man smiled beneath his cloak. "Sorry, Naota, but my plans would be ruined if you knew who I was."

Beside him, Cthulhu waited patiently.

…

A young man walked Hikaru to the Nurse's office. "I'm really lucky to be starring opposite one as beautiful as you." He said. He had curly black hair and a thin mustache. He wore an Obelisk Blue uniform.

"Uhhh, thanks Ross. Anyway you don't have to walk me, I'm fine on my own," Hikaru told him.

"Non-sense, I enjoy your company." He assured her.

'_But I don't enjoy yours,' _Hikaru thought. She bit her tongue, deciding that she didn't want to cause any problems for the play. "Well, that's sweet of you,"

"So, tomorrow after rehearsal would you like to do something with me?" Ross asked.

"No thanks, I'm busy," Hikaru responded.

"Are you sure? Too bad," Ross said with a sigh. "I hear there's a good movie playing at the theater for once. You should have seen the line up when it first opened last year, nothing but junk."

'_God I hope he doesn't get too into the kiss scenes,' _Hikaru thought. "Look, Ross, you're really nice. I'm sure there are tons of girls who would be lucky to have you."

Ross could tell that this was going somewhere he didn't want it to.

"But, you're not my type," Hikaru admitted.

"Really?" Ross asked. "Forgive me, then, but I've never seen someone as beautiful as you. I suppose a girl like you does have high standards. I hope that the boy who wins your heart realizes how lucky he is."

Hikaru fell silent.

"Something wrong?" Ross asked.

"It's nothing," she lied. "It's just, there's," she wasn't sure why she was saying anything. "There's someone I already like, but, well," Hikaru couldn't finish.

"He likes someone else?" Ross ventured.

"No, I mean, I don't know," Hikaru admitted. "I just don't think the feeling is mutual."

"Well then he's a fool," Ross said. "And forgive my straightforwardness, but until the day he returns your affections, I will be trying to win your heart."

Hikaru sweat dropped. _'Ughh, this guy's so lame. He thinks I'll really fall for someone who likes me 'cause I'm cute.'_

"So how long have you known him?" Ross asked.

"….Since we were kids."

…

They reached the nurse's office. "Thanks for keeping me company," Hikaru told the boy. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush. "See you at rehearsal tomorrow."

Hikaru walked into the building and waved at the nurse. She stepped into Naota's room and nearly screamed. He was nowhere to be seen. The window was open and footprints lead into the forest. "Naota's missing," she told the nurse quickly. "I'm going to go look for him," she ran back into his room and jumped out the window.

Ross soon joined her. "If something happened to your friend, this could be dangerous. I'd never be sleep if I knew I let you go on your own."

Hikaru sighed and accepted his company as she dashed toward the forest.

…

Naota's eyes opened slowly. A strange figure stood before him. He had short brown hair and wore a black shirt, blue jeans, and a purple cape. Black smoke rose from his feet.

"Who are you?" Naota demanded. He tried to flee, but his ankle was shackled and chained to a tree. "Let me go."

"Duel me," the stranger said. "I'll let you go when the duel is over, whether you win or lose."

"If you wanted to duel me, you could have just asked," Naota spat angrily.

"I was afraid you might flee." The stranger drew five cards. "You may make the first move," he said.

Naota stared at the young man. He couldn't have been older than fifteen. "At least tell me what to call you."

"You may call me Ender," he answered.

Naota drew. "Okay I'll set a monster facedown and one more card facedown and then I'll end my turn," he said with a smile. _'All I have to do is wait for him to attack my Marshmallon and he'll take 1000 Points of damage!'_

Ender drew a sixth card. "I hear you like to play defense," he said. "Too bad, but so do I." Ender grinned. "I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards than discard two. Next I play Monster Reborn to revive my discarded knight. Come on out, Shadow Templar-Antagonize!" (1000/1500) "In defense mode of course."

The Shadow Templar wore black armor and a tattered red cape. Dried blood crusted his sword. "While he is in defense mode, you can not summon, set, or Special Summon a monster in defense mode. In addition, he gains Shadow Counters equal to the level of one monster in either player's graveyard. So that means he gets nine counters for now." The knight's shadow began to dance. "Next I normal summon Shadow Templar- Reincarnation in defense mode," Ender played a card nearly identical to the first. "I set one card and end my turn. This activates Reincarnation's effect. When he is in defense mode, I can revive a Shadow Templar at the end of my turn. So that means I can bring out Shadow Templar-Cruelty." (1200/2700) He too looked like the first Templar.

"He gives all my other Templars two Counters each. Then he gets one for each Counter he gave out. Then since he's in defense mode and my turn is ending, his other effect activates. Each of my Templars gains a Shadow Counter."

**Cruelty-12**

**Reincarnation- 3**

**Antagonize-5**

Naota gulped. It didn't look like his opponent was planning to attack anytime soon, and he was left at a major disadvantage. He drew his card, praying for a miracle. Sadly, he didn't get one. _'I don't have anything in my hand that can beat his cards. If only he'd try to attack, I could activate Magic Cylinder on one monster and let the second one fight Marshmallon. I'd be halfway to victory.'_

"I set one card and end my turn," Naota told Ender.

Ender drew a card and smiled. "I activate the spell card Magical Stone Excavation," Ender said calmly. "This lets me return my Monster Reborn to my hand. Next I activate my Monster Reborn to bring back Shadow Templar-Wrath!" (300/2000) "He gives four Shadow Counters to my Cruelty!" This brought him up to 16 counters. "Then I end my turn, so first I activate my Reincarnation's effect to bring back Shadow Templar-Nightmare." (900/1600) "He raises the defense of all my monsters by 500 as long as he's in defense mode. In addition, when he is Special Summoned, he gets a Shadow Counter for each Templar I control, so that makes five. Next, Cruelty gives everyone a counter."

**Cruelty- 17**

**Reincarnation- 4**

**Antagonize- 6**

**Wrath- 1**

**Nightmare- 6**

**Total- 34**

Naota drew a card. _'Unity? Man this would help if he'd actually attack. Damn it, he's got so many Counters right now, what the Hell do they do?' _He had nothing. "I end my turn."

Ender smiled. "The duel ends this turn; I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards." The left side of Ender's mouth twisted into a malevolent grin. "I play Shadow of Destruction. I offer my Shadow Templar-Wrath to give four Shadow Counters to Cruelty!" This meant a total gain of three counters.

Ender grabbed his next card. "Now, I'll remove four counters from reincarnation to activate Shadow of Deceit! This card lets me Special Summon a Shadow Templar from my deck. I choose Death," he kept grinning. (800/1200) "Now I can choose any Shadow Templar on the field, and Death gains an equal number of counters. So I pick Cruelty and his twenty-one counters."

Naota grimaced in fear.

"Now I activate Shadow of Death!"

Naota couldn't believe the duel was about to end without him having done anything.

"I remove as many Shadow Counters as I want. You take 100 points of damage for each one and I gain 100 Life Points for each one."

The Shadow Templar's shadows began to flow like separate streams merging into one river. The darkness rose off the ground, forming a long dragon. It charged at Naota hungrily before splitting into five hands that began clawing at his throat.

**Naota: 0**

**Ender: 9400**

Ender turned into a cloud of purple smoke and charged at Naota. The boy's vision began fading once more.

…

Takuya smiled at Cthulhu. "Poor kid got pwned real bad. I hope he doesn't suffer too much because of this."  
"Are you feeling, guilt?" The duel spirit asked. "Concern?"

"Hell no," Takuya sounded offended. "I just don't want to give Hikaru and Emi any extra incentive to hunt me down. Unleashing the Octogram is already hard enough. If my calculations are correct, I'll end up needing to flunk a year just to buy myself enough time. So what's the deal with the duel anyway? Why did Ender want to challenge Naota?"

"I do not know," Cthulhu answered.

"Really? But Ender is one of the servants of the Octogram. Shouldn't you know what he's up to?"

…

When Naota woke up, Hikaru and Ross were standing over him.

"I'm so glad you're okay," said the girl. She threw her arms around Naota. "What happened?"

"Someone knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I met this person named Ender who wanted to duel me. He beat me badly. I didn't even scratch him."

"Do you know what he looked like?" Hikaru asked. "I'll call the principal right away. Then hopefully someone can catch him. He had just better pray I don't get to him first."

"It was really dark, I can't remember," Naota told her. He looked at Ross with curiosity.

"I'm sorry," Hikaru began. "This is Ross. He's the lead male in the play. He walked me here to see you, and he followed me into the forest when I went to look for you. He was the one who carried you back."

"Thanks," said Naota.

"No problem. It's nice to know all that time in the gym finally paid off," Ross said with a chuckle. "So, I hear you and Hikaru are pretty close. How long have you known each other?"

"Since we were kids," Naota answered.


	15. I'm Calling the Starlight

Disclaimer: I do NOT own this stuff. God that was a long turn! Also, yeah, I used an online translator, forgive me orz Hmm the cards still didn't come out as well as I had hoped but….they do have a decent amount of potential in the right hands. Wow, this was a weird chapter.

---

"Can I leave now?" Naota asked a nurse the next day. "I only fainted; I don't see why I had to spend the night."

The nurse was silent. Hikaru on the other hand, slapped him upside the head.

"Owww," he cried.

"You know very well why you had to spend the night. Anyway, it's almost time for class to start so I'm heading out. I'll see you when classes are done."

"So when can I leave?" he asked.

The nurse smiled. "Your condition looks fine so we're releasing you. But we recommend that you head back to your dorm and get some rest."

"No way," Naota shook his head. "If I'm well enough to leave, then I'm heading to class."

"?" The nurse gasped. She was confused.

"Don't worry about him," Hikaru told the nurse "He's just weird." She grabbed the boy by the hand. "Well, if you're coming to class I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on you."

…

Mr. Inazaki smiled at his class. "Good morning class, I'm glad you could all make it. Today we shall be talking about some of my favorite cards. Now, as you know, some cards are rarer than others. Some of them are extremely hard to get a hold of, while others are rarer still. Take Blue-Eyes White Dragon. There are only three copies of this card in existence, all of them are owned by Seto Kaiba, the school's founder. Then there are the God Cards, there are only one each and they all belong to Yugi Muto, the world's greatest duelist."

"Don't you mean second greatest?" Joked one of the students. The entire class laughed.

"Ah yes, I sometimes try to forget about Mr. Kaiba's enormous ego. He's so desperate to be the best, it's rumored that he used force to collect all three of his Blue Eyes. That's the thing about certain cards. They're so rare and valuable; people are willing to do anything to get their hands on them. Take the Zodiac Mage cards for instance. There is one copy of each card and they're all worth a large sum of money. A rich couple once paid several trillion yen to buy the entire set for their five-year-old son. The same family later paid even more money to buy the Starlight Sorcerers for their son as well. Those cards are just as rare as the Zodiac Mages; only one copy of each card exists in the world."

"I wonder what those cards are like," one student commented.

"Must be really powerful."

"And he has two sets of rare cards like that? Damn kid must be lucky."

Naota hung his head low. _'Yuu, I wish you were here.'_

"Hey Hikaru," one student began. "How did you get the Maho Shoujo cards? Those things are rare too, right?"

"Yes," the girl said with a nod. "They're just as rare as the Zodiac Mages and Starlight Sorcerers. I was only lucky enough to get them because my aunt gave them to me for my birthday when I was little. She was a rare card collector and she had the all the Maho Shoujo Cards, so she was nice enough to give them to me. "

"Wow, I'm surprised that that one couple didn't try to buy the Maho Shoujo Cards for their son. I mean, he seems to be fond of Spellcaster Cards if he's got two rare archetypes," a Ra Yellow said aloud.

"Actually," Naota began. "He only has the Zodiac Mages."

"Weren't you paying attention?" Asked another student. "Whoever this kid is, his parents bought him the Zodiac Mages and the Starlight Sorcerers. He must be pretty spoiled."

Naota slammed his hands on the desk. "Take that back, you don't even know him!"

"Like you do?" Challenged the student.

Naota looked him over. He was an Obelisk Blue with short blonde hair and deep red eyed. He tried to remember his name. _'Damn it,' _thought Naota. _'He's an Obelisk Blue, there's no chance of me winning if I use that deck. I-I can't use its full power.'_

Naota turned to the teacher. "Please excuse me from class for a few minutes, I need to get something. I can prove that I know the kid with the Zodiac Mage deck."

"Well, if what you say is true, then this is certainly interesting." Said Mr. Inazami. "Very well, just make it quick."

"And when I get back, please allow me to duel him," Naota pointed at the student he was arguing with.

"Do you know who I am?" The student gasped. "I'm fricken' Exavier. I'm the kid who almost beat Ryou!"

"I don't care," Naota called out as he dashed out the door.

"This is going to be fun," mumbled Hikaru. "I'm going to follow him to make sure he's okay," she told the teacher. She ran out the door without waiting for a response.

…

Naota ran as fast as he could. The memory played out in his head like a movie in HD.

"_Hey, Naota, happy birthday," Yuu said as he handed the deck over. "I know you feel a little left out since Hikaru and I have Spellcaster decks and you don't, so I asked my mom and dad to get one for you."_

"_Thanks Yuu!" Naota cried as he wrapped his arms around his friend. He hadn't even looked inside yet, and he already loved the gift.  
"Well, at least look inside," the eleven-year-old boy teased. _

_Naota peeked inside the deck box and gasped. "But these are the Starlight Sorcerers', they must have cost way too much." Naota felt embarrassed. He hadn't gotten Yuu anything nearly as good for his birthday._

"_Don't worry about it," he said. "You're my friend so I wanted you to have something good. So, now that you've got your cards, want to duel?"_

_Naota nodded. The duel was over in an instant, but Naota lost with a smile. "Wow Yuu, you're even better than before."_

"_You're getting better too, Naota."_

Present day Naota smiled. "I wonder how good you are now, Yuu. I bet you're still miles ahead of us."

"I'm sure he is," Hikaru said as she ran up to Naota's side.

"Hikaru! What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm making sure you don't faint."

…

Naota's room was a mess. "Where did I put it?" He panicked. "I'm sure I had the Teddy-Bear on the bed before I left."

"Calm down, Naota," Hikaru told him. "I'm sure it just fell behind the bed." Hikaru grabbed the mattress and tugged gently. A tattered teddy bear rested beneath the bed's metal frame. She reached down to pick it up. She smiled as she handed it over to Naota.

He reached for the deck box inside. "I promised myself I wouldn't use this deck again until I was ready. I told myself wouldn't use the Starlight Sorcerers or the other card he gave me." Naota held a card up to the light. "Genesis of Darkness- Shiki."

…

"_Hey guess what guys? Ever heard of the Shiki Genesis cards," Yuu sounded excited, so it was hard for Naota to shake his head no. Hikaru went first. "Well, they're three really powerful Spellcaster cards. And there's only one each of them. So I thought it would be cool if we could each have one." He handed a card each to his two best friends._

"_That's really nice, but you don't have to get us stuff like this, Yuu," Hikaru said as she hugged the boy. "I really like it though."_

_I just thought it would be really cool if we could share something like this, "Yuu said with a smile. His silver hair danced as he twirled around with delight. Naota and Hikaru watched with smiles on their faces. _

"_Hey, who wants to duel?" Hikaru asked._

_It was a triangle duel, Naota and Hikaru against Yuu. The silver-haired boy won easily._

…

"Pft, what's taking so long?" Grumbled Exavier. "I wonder if he chickened out."

"Not a chance," Naota said as he stormed through the door. "It's time to duel."

"Wait, aren't you going to show us that proof you were talking about? That you're friends with that spoiled brat with the Spellcaster Decks."

"You're trying to annoy me aren't you?" Naota accused. _'He could be with the Orgy,' _Naota thought to himself. Sadly, he couldn't think of a single way to test the possibility. "I'll make the first move." He looked over his choices. "I summon Starlight Sorcerer-Raaf!" (1400/1200)

The card looked like a young human girl with long white hair. She wore a cloak. It was black with purple feathers decorated the darkness like stars in the night sky. She had beautiful raven like wings sprouting from her back.

"Wait," Exavier gasped. "But how is that possible? How can you have them?"

Naota smiled. "They were a gift from a friend. He was one of the kindest people in the world. Don't you ever dare to call him a spoiled brat again!" Naota grabbed one of the Spells in his hand and quickly activated it. "I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards! And since a Spell was activated, my Raaf gains a Spell Counter. Each Spell Counter on her gives her 200 extra attack points. So that brings her up to 1600. But that doesn't matter, because I'm not done with the spells yet. I activate Graceful Charity, giving me three new cards as long as I get rid of two. So Raaf gets another Spell Counter on her."

Exavier looked like he was waiting for something good to happen. "Go ahead and boost her strength all you want, I'm still beating her next turn."

Naota didn't enjoy the boy's challenge. "I activate Monster Reborn to revive Starlight Sorcerer- Duif!" (1000/800) She had a white robe with red feathers, long blonde hair, and the beautiful wings of a dove. "Her effect is similar. She gains Spell Counters for every Spell activated, and she gains 200 points for each counter. Most of my cards are like that. They're major differences though, are what they can do with the Counters."

"Right now I have four, so I can use Duif's effect to remove four counters from the field and Special Summon a Spellcaster from my Graveyard. So I bring out Genesis of Darkness-Shiki!"

The class gasped when they saw such the rare card appear on the field. She wore what looked like a black straight jacket decorated with silver clasps, chains, and more belts then could have possibly been necessary. She had pale skin and long black hair that fell to the ground in thin strands. (3000/0)

"She gets 500 extra attack points for every Spellcaster I control. In addition, I can discard one Spell per turn to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand. While that card can't attack this turn, it doesn't matter since it's the first turn anyway. So I'll get rid of one Spell to bring out Starlight Sorcerer- Adelaar!" (1600/1200)

She had short orange hair and the wings of an eagle. Her robe was orange with blue clouds. "Next I activate the Spell Card Starlight Waltz!" This card gives me 300 Life points for each Spellcaster I control."

**Naota: 5200**

"When does this turn end?" Moaned Exavier.

"Shut up," Naota ordered. "My turn will end soon." He set one card on the field. "I play one card facedown and activate Raaf's effect. By removing the Spell Counters from Raaf and Duif, I get to draw one card." He looked at his new card and smiled. "I end my turn."

"Finally, I thought that turn would never end," grumbled Exavier. "I summon Genocide Slayer!" (1700/1500) The monster looked like a futuristic cyborg with a huge arsenal of weapons. "I declare one Type, in this case, Spellcaster, and now my monster gains 700 attack points for each card of that type on the field."

The monster's 4500 attack points were nowhere near enough to challenge Shiki's, but they were enough to make mincemeat out of Duif. "Go, my warrior, attack his dove!"

The monster launched a volley of missiles that exploded with enough force to rocks the classroom.

**Naota: 1700**

"Next I activate my Spell Card Pyre of the Witch's Funeral." Exavier told Naota. "I equip it to your Shiki. Now she can't attack, and each turn you'll take damage equal to 100 times her level. I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

Naota drew and grimaced as his Life Points dropped.

**Naota: 900**

'_I-I'm sorry Yuu,' _he thought to himself. _'You gave me these cards, and I'm nowhere good enough to use them.'_

Hikaru growled. "Naota, if you don't win this duel and teach this guy a lesson, you'll never be good enough to catch up to Yuu!"

Naota wiped away the tear gathering in his eye. "You're right." He drew another card.

"I summon my Tuner Monster, Starlight Sorcerer- Kraii!" (500/500) This card was a boy. He had short black hair and a plain black robe. Crow wings grew from his back. "I remove Raaf's Counter to activate Kraii's effect. I can lower or reduce his level by the number of counters I remove. So I'll bring him up to Level 3 and tune him with my Level 4 Raaf to bring out my Level 7 Starlight Sorcerer- Kat!" (2500/2100)

She looked almost like Dark Magician Girl, except her hair was a little shorter and she wore pink and blue robes instead of the normal clothing that the Dark Magician's apprentice wore. Also, she had cat ears and a tail.

"I offer up my Shiki to boost Kat's attack by 200 points times the offered monster's level!"

The Starlight Sorcerer's attack climbed up to 4100. "Next I activate my facedown Spell Card, Starlight Trance! I can select one Spellcaster in my grave and remove it from play. Then I can pick a Starlight Sorcerer and boost its attack by the removed monster's until the end of the turn. So I remove Shiki to boost my Kat's attack to 7100. Now go, Cat's Cradle!"

Kat launched itself into the air and began hurling wires everywhere. She plucked one of the wires like she was playing a harp, and a magical melody filled the room. Genocide Slayer burst into pieces.

"I activate my Trap Card, Nutrient Z. This card boosts my Life Points y the 4000 I'm about to lose." Exavier saved himself from defeat.

"Attack him directly, Adelaar!" Naota cried out. "I set a card and end my turn."

**Exavier: 2000**

"Gah, that stings," the boy cried. "My turn, I activate my trap card, Avatar of Apophis. This card acts as a monster, so I can sacrifice it for my favorite card, advanced Genocide Soldier!" (2100/800) "See, he's a lot like his friend. He gains 800 points for every card of whatever type I specify, so I pick Spellcaster!" The monster's attack soared to 3700. More than enough to bet Kat now that her attack had returned to 0. "Go, crush that kitten and win the duel!"

The monster unleashed a series of missiles and grenades before firing a machine gun at the poor Spellcaster. Naota only smiled.

When his Kat was destroyed, he simply activated a trap. "I activate Calling Starlight. This reduces all battle damage I take when a Starlight Sorcerer is destroyed. Then I can Special Summon a Spellcaster from my deck. So say hello to Havik!" (2100/1300)

He had long brown hair and wore a red robe.

"I set one card end my turn," Exavier told him.

Naota drew his next card.

"I activate my trap," Exavier said quickly. "Declaration of Darkest Intent. I choose one monster on my side of the field, and if it's destroyed in battle this turn, you take damage equal to its attack points. Of course I'll pick my Genocide."

"Too bad for you the card I just summoned is Havik. I activate his effect by removing two counters from Adelaar to destroy your Genocide Soldier!"

Orbs of light surrounded Havik and began spinning quickly. They lunched themselves forward in complex arches that interweaved like missiles in a mecha anime. The orbs obliterated the Soldier. "Now, finish this, my Sorceress."

The two cards struck Exavier directly and brought him to his knees.

**Exavier: 0**

Naota smiled as the duel ended.

…

A man waited at the subway. He crinkled his nose in disgust when he smelled the overwhelming scent of chocolate. It was much stronger than most chocolate. A young boy with silver hair sat on a bench, munching a candy bar. He was typing away on his laptop and talking on a phone.

"Thanks, Exavier, I owe you a lot. Yeah, I'll send you the card you wanted. Genocide Soldier of Oblivion, right? Wow, he won that easily? I thought you'd surely you'd up more of a fight then that. Why'd I have you do it? Well, I was hoping he'd have fun using those cards. He's really silly for keeping them locked up you know. Oh and tell your teacher I said thanks for the help."

The man's ride came so he stepped on board. The doors soon closed behind him and he heard nothing ore of the boy's phone call.

…

"So, you think you'll keep using those cards?" Hikaru asked.

"Not really." Naota answered. "But I will keep them with me in case I ever feel like it. They'll be my second deck."

The two friends were walking toward their favorite on island restaurant when suddenly they heard a big commotion.

"Really? It's starting next week?"

"Yeah, it's a big tournament; they're even inviting a few of the lower league pros to join in."

"Doesn't that seem unfair?"

"Lots of students want to go Pro, so this is a great chance to see how they'll match up with the real deal."

Hikaru smiled at Naota. "Looks like it's our first school tournament. I can't wait."


	16. The Plan That Never Works: Duel to Date

Disclaimer: I don't won Yu-Gi-Oh or GX

Sorry the chapter's so short T-T

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Ross smiled as he drew his card. "How are you doing Hikaru? Do you remember all the moves?" He threw two cards facedown. "I set my Black Pendant and Metalmorph facedown. I end my turn."

Hikaru smiled as she drew her next card. "Yeah, it's easy. I play Mystical Space Typhoon on the left card and then act shocked when I destroy your Pendant and lose 500 Life Points."

Rather than practice their lines and dueling all at once, they were focusing purely on the duel during rehearsal. Duels received extra attention during practice because it would be hard to make up for a mistake.

The card's cyclone launched Black Pendant into oblivion, and Hikaru's Life Points dropped.

**Hikaru: 1900**

**Ross: 2700**

'_Gah, I hate the fact that I have to lose to this dork in the play. Well, at least he's nice. And he did help me save Naota,' _Hikaru grabbed her monster card. "I summon Lotus Princess in attack mode." The card looked like a small fairy with green leaves for wings. (100/100) "Using her effect I sacrifice my Rose Tentacles to raise her attack by 100 x the sacrificed monster's level. So that brings her attack up to 700! Next, she attacks you directly!"

The fairy crashed into Ross and knocked him on his butt.

**Ross: 2000**

"Then I say, sorry princess, and I sacrifice my two monsters for Queen Maha Vailo!" (2550/2000) "Next I activate my Metalmorph and equip it to her, which boosts her attack to a whopping 3550. So I attack your fairy," Ross smiled, even though he knew what was coming next.

"I activate my Magic Cylinder, and I win this duel," Hikaru smiled. _'I still hate the fact that I have to lose the rematch. Maybe I can get someone to change the script.'_

"That was really good you two," said the teacher. "Keep rehearsing the lines in your spare time, and we'll continue working on this duel tomorrow. Afterwards, be ready to start practicing the scenes." She smiled at the duo. "That's it for today."

"Well, I promised Naota I'd meet him for ice cream," Hikaru waved good-bye as she dashed out the door.

Ross quickly followed quickly. "Wait up, can I come with you?" he asked. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"If you're going to suggest that we practice the kissing scenes again, you are so dead," Hikaru warned.

"Don't worry, I know when to back off," Ross assured her. Hikaru shot him a skeptical look. "What? I do!" He insisted.

"Follow me," Hikaru said with a sigh.

Ross smiled.

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"Hi Ross," Naota smiled when he saw the boy walking at Hikaru's side. "It's nice to see you again." He was sitting outdoors on at a white table just outside a small café.

"Thanks," Ross answered. "Hikaru invited me to join you guys."

"More like you invited yourself," Hikaru complained. Hikaru grabbed some money and handed it over to Ross. "Why don't you go buy our ice cream?" She suggested. "I'll take a scoop of vanilla in a cup, and Naota wants a scoop of strawberry in a chocolate waffle cone with sprinkles, right Naota?"

The boy nodded happily.

Ross returned the money. "Since I invited myself and intruded, I'll make it up by paying for your ice cream."

"I'd rather you make it up by leaving," Hikaru growled.

"Aww, be nice," Naota suggested. "After all, he was nice enough to walk you home last night, and he did carry me back to the nurse's when I fainted."

"Oh all right, I'll be nice, but only 'cause Naota's asking."

Ross smiled as he stood up.

When he was out of earshot, Naota began smiling like a maniac. "So, have you practiced the make-out scenes yet?" He asked.

Hikaru grumbled under her breath. "No, and I am so not looking forward to it." She crossed her arms and pouted. "Ross just isn't my type. Plus, he's too into me even though he barely knows me. If started liking me after he learned a little bit about me, then maybe I wouldn't be annoyed."

"So you don't like that he likes you for your looks, huh?" Naota smiled. "Well, I can't blame you, that does seem sort of shallow. But are you sure that's the only reason he likes you?"

"What else could there be? He starting flirting with me the second we met!" Hikaru bit her lip in annoyance.

Ross returned with the ice cream. "Here you go," he said as he returned the ice cream. He handed Naota and Hikaru their frozen deserts and began licking his own cone of Neapolitan.

"So how are things going at rehearsals?" Naota asked. He wanted to get Ross' side of the story.

"They're going great," Ross answered happily. "We're rehearsing the first duel right now. It's when my character first meets Hikaru's and she beats me in a duel."

"I lose the rematch though," Hikaru slammed her ahead against the table as she spoke.

"Cool." Naota licked his ice cream cone. "I wonder who would win if you two had a real duel."

"I would," they both said.

Naota smiled. "There's an easy way to find out."

"How about we make things interesting," Ross suggested. "If I win, you have to go on a date with me."

"…" Hikaru thought it over. "But if I win, then," she smiled.

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A young silver haired boy walked through the city street. He wore a long sleeve yellow T-shirt. He whistled Aqua Timez's "Alones" as he watched the cars pass by. "Shouldn't you be in school?" A woman asked him. She had long brown hair and wore a blue top with a blue skirt.

"I take all my classes online," he answered. "I assume you're Eichel-sama."

"And you must be Akimoto-san," she responded. "So why did you insist we meet in secret?" She asked. "Hikaru and Naota both say they miss you very much and I'm sure they would love to hear from you."

Yuu thought it over. "It's hard to explain," He admitted. "And the less you know the better." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a deck case. He grabbed two cads inside and handed them over. "Please just make sure that Naota and Hikaru get these cards. I'd greatly appreciate it." He bowed politely.

"Don't worry. I'll give these to my son Ashton. He should be able to get them to your friends without any problem."

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Nayuta looked at her sister and smiled. "I remove seven Velonica Cards in my graveyard from play to Special Summon Kumikyoku Dragon!" She called out.

"I activate Imperial Iron Wall," responded the Lunatic Princes.

Nayuta pouted. "Damn it, you counter everything I do," she complained. "I forgot how good you are."

"That's because my deck was designed to counter yours," her sister explained. "But that is what you may have to face if it comes to that. When things start getting really bad it is entirely possible that the Organization will send members with decks designed specifically to combat their enemies. I want you to be prepared in case that happens."

Nayuta nodded in agreement. "Okay, I activate Ryuuseigun- Meteor Legend!" She called out.

"I activate Magic Jammer," Eirin countered.

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"So the conditions have been set," Naota cried out.

"Don't remind me," Hikaru moaned. _'Why'd I bother agreeing? If this loser wins than I let him take me on a date?' _She scoffed at the notion. "Sorry, Ross, but there is no way I'm letting you beat me."

"We'll let the cards decide that, won't we?" Ross smiled. "How about you make the first move, my dear Hikaru?"

Hikaru was happy to see one of her favorite cards in her hand. "I summon Maho Shoujo-Emi!" (1200/1100) The sailor fuku wearing Spellcaster appeared in a storm of cherry blossom petals. "When she arrives on the field I get to draw another card." Her hand went back up to six cards. "I play one card facedown and end my turn."

Ross smiled as he set his eyes on the newest addition to his hand. "I summon Hayaku Waltz to the field!" (1000/1000)A young man in formal attire danced onto the field. "Thanks to his effect, we each get to Special Summon a monster from out hands as long as it had less than 1000 attack points. So I pick Kizuna Samurai!" (1000/500) A short samurai in blue armor raised his blade high.

"I special summon Maho Shoujo Chiyo in defense mode." (1000/1000) "When she is normal or Special Summoned I can add one Spell from my Deck to my hand, so I pick Monster Reborn!"

Ross continued his move. "I equip my Hayaku Waltz with United We Stand, raising his attack by 800 for each monster I control." (2600/1000) "Attack Emi!"

Hikaru smiled. "This never gets old no matter how many times I do it. I activate my facedown Dimension Magic!" A coffin swallowed Emi and carried her away. "Now I can Special Summon Maho Shoujo-Asuka to the field!" (1800/1000) Asuka spun her staff and a ray of light fell from the heavens, piercing Hayaku Waltz and blowing him to pieces."

"I activate Tailor of the Fickle to move my United We Stand to Kizuna Samurai!" (1800/1500) "Since a warrior I control was destroyed this turn, Kizuna gains 1000 attack points until the end phase!" (2800/1500) "Now slice and dice her Magic Girl!"

The samurai slashed his sword through the air, unleashing a shockwave of energy that crushed the Maho Shoujo Card.

**Hikaru: 3000**

"I set one card facedown and end my turn." Ross bowed.

Hikaru drew. "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Emi so I can draw another card." The young girl reappeared on the field, and Hikaru gained an extra option. "I sacrifice Chiyo for Maho Shoujo-Megumi!" (2500/1200) "Go, attack his Samurai."

"I activate Scapegoat to Special Summon four Sheep Tokens to the field." (0/0) "So my Kizuna gets a huge boost from United We Stand!" (5000/1500)

"Sorry, but I offer Emi for Dimension Runes!" Hikaru smiled. "Now I can Special Summon Chiyo from the graveyard." (1000/1000) "When she is Special Summoned I can grab a Spell from my deck. So I pick Magic Academy! Next, my Chiyo burns away your United We Stand!"

Kizuna Samurai's attack plummeted down to 1000.

"Go, Megumi, finish off his Samurai!"

Kizuna Samurai withered away in Megumi's magical blast.

**Ross: 2500**

"I activate Magic Academy and end my turn!" Hikaru slipped a card into her field spell zone. A group of buildings rose around the duelists. "This card makes it so that every monster on the field is now a Spellcaster!"

"So it's like a Spellcaster version of Zombie World huh?" Ross drew a card. "I guess my Kizuna Soldier's effect is useless, so there's no point in me summoning his twin." Ross set a card. "I play one card facedown and end my turn."

Hikaru drew her next card.

**Hikaru: 3600**

"During each of my Standby Phases I gain 300 Life Points for each of my Maho Shoujo cards!" Hikaru smiled. "Now I normal Summon Maho Shoujo-Haruka!" (1700/1300) "When I normal summon her I can add a Spell from my Graveyard to my hand. So I pick Monster Reborn and use that card to revive Emi from the graveyard!" (1200/1100) "Now I can draw one extra card!" She smiled as the Duel Disk spat out the perfect spell. "I was hoping for this. I activate Sakura Burst! For the cost of 100 Life Points all my monsters gain the ability to deal piercing damage!"

Megumi would have been enough, but Hikaru had much more than enough attack points to destroy Ross' Life Points.

"Go, my Maho Shoujo cards, Magical Mayhem Maelstrom!" The card's all raised their staffs and fired a large ball of light at Ross' Scapegoats.

**Hikaru: 2600**

**Ross: 0**

"Aww, looks like I lost." Ross said sadly. "Well, you win the bet."

"Yep," Hikaru smiled.


	17. Beach Trip

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX.**

**Author's Note: Kraii's effect from two chapters ago was way too powerful so I'll change it when it next occurs. It will be able to raise his level once per turn instead of until the end of the turn.**

**Shoot, did I really never describe Eirin? I can't find any description of her anywhere…..kay I guess I'll do it this chapter then. Gah not anywhere near as funny s I'd hoped. Carp some of this came off as so pointless….oh crap I think I messed up the gender of some of Nayuta's cards…oh I'll stop rambling now oh and thanks to Ghost-sama for Lunarian Bull Oh crap I think I need to retcon Naota and Hikaru's ages in chapter 4……shoot….it contradicts the chapter where they met Yuu.**

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Naota smiled as he grabbed another piece of Unagi sushi off the conveyor belt. He stuffed it in his mouth and chewed quickly before reaching for some shrimp. Ross frowned.

"Man I am so going broke," he said with a sigh.

"Well, you lost the bet," Hikaru reminded him. "So you have to treat us both to sushi." She smiled wickedly.

Naota gobbled down a few more plates of sushi. "Thanks Ross," he said. "I love sushi but it can be so expensive some times. I have no idea how this place stays in business when it's only customers are the students and staff. I guess they raised the prices to compensate or something." He wiped his moth with a napkin. "Well, I hate to do this, but I promised Nayuta I'd meet her somewhere, so I need to get going. Have a nice time you two." He quickly dashed away.

"H-hey, don't leave me alone with him," protested Hikaru. She stood up to leave as well. "O-ow my stomach," she crumpled to the floor.

"Are you okay?" Ross asked. He grabbed his wallet and quickly threw some cash on the table. "I'll take you to the nurse's."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"It looks like you simply had a bit too much to eat, don't worry you should be fine." The nurse told Hikaru.

"That's a relief. My friends and I were going to the beach this weekend and I didn't want to have to miss out," Hikaru spoke happily. She quickly threw her hand over her mouth.

"Really, cool," said Ross. "Can I come?"

"Well, it is a beach for all students, it isn't like I can exactly tell you to stay away," Hikaru admitted.

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It wasn't long before the weekend hit. The sun was shining brightly so their plans were going great. Naota, Ryou, and Ross waited outside as the girls entered the bathroom to change. Ross wore board shorts with a military style camouflage design. He rubbed sunscreen over his shirtless body struggling in vain to reach his back.

"I can help, Ryou offered.

"Uhhh, no thanks," Ross declined.

Ryou began spreading sunscreen on himself. "Can you get my back, Naota?" He asked politely.

"Sure thing," the other boy answered.

Ryou's swim shorts were mostly white with a few black waves rolling across. Naota was surprised to see that Ryou actually had swimwear. He didn't seem like the type to be planning any trips to the beach.

When Naota finished helping Ryou, he began applying sunscreen to his face, arms, and legs.

"I can't believe you're wearing that to the beach," commented Ross. He glanced at Naota's red long sleeve shirt and black cotton shorts. "Are you going swimming in that?" He asked curiously.

"Nah, I don't swim," Naota answered.

Suddenly the girls began stepping out of the bathroom.

"Hey guys, I forgot to tell you," Nayuta began, "My sister, Eirin, might be joining us later." She wore a yellow bikini that left much of her body excused. "I hope she does, she's really nice and I want you all to meet her."

Emi was wearing a slightly less revealing black bikini. "I too am hoping to see her. She is a very powerful duelist and an ally against the forces of the Organization. It would be wise to combine our strength with hers."

"Yeah, she's really upset with them for targeting me. She's actually helping me train so that I can be a better duelist. I hope it works, I got my ass handed to me by Amber."

"Are you okay?" Gasped Naota. He knew that she looked fine, but you could never be sure.

"Yeah, before anything really bad could happen, Eirin stepped in and OTKed amber's ass."

Hikaru was the final girl to exit the bathroom. Ross held his hand to his nose to stop the flow of blood. "Oh you have got to be kidding me, Ross," she sighed. She was wearing a bright blue one piece.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Ross was busy playing volleyball with the girls while Ryou and Naota simply watched from the sidelines. Ross played with Emi while Nayuta and Hikaru teamed up.

"Can- can I ask you a question?" Ryou stuttered nervously. _'This is so weird.' _He shifted position on the beach towel he was sitting on. He could feel the smooth sand beneath his feet.

"Uh, sure," Naota replied nervously. "I guess," he wasn't sure he'd be able to answer it.

"Do you like Hikaru?" He asked.

"Uhhh, not really, why?" Naota let out a sigh of relief. _'Well, I don't think I like her,' _Naota was afraid to admit that he could barely understand the twisted knot of emotions in his heart.

"N-no reason, I was just curious." Ryou stated.

The ball bounced back and forth as it traveled between both teams. The players scrambled back and forth to get into position. Ross smiled as he watched Hikaru leaping back and forth.

"Take this," Hikaru shouted as she jumped into the air. She slammed her fist into the ball and propelled it into the sand. "Sorry you two, but it looks like we win."

Ryou hugged his knees and turned to Naota. "What about Nayuta?"

Naota blushed. "I-I don't really know," he admitted. "How about you? Is there someone you like?"  
Ryou thought about it for a minute. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. I think I might like Emi, but I don't know if I just look up to her." He looked at Naota as if asking for advice.

"W-well don't ask me," Naota said as he stumbled backwards. "I know _nothing_ about how to deal with crushes," he admitted.

Ryou fell silent for a minute, until Emi tripped on to him and knocked him over.

"Sorry about that," she apologized.

Ryou tried not to blush, despite the fact that Emi's breasts were suffocating him. She quickly stood up and offered him a hand.

"I," Emi paused to let out a yawn, "haven't, been getting enough slee," she didn't finish her sentence.

"Are you okay?" Ryou asked worriedly.

Emi smiled and nodded, "yeah I'm fine."

Hikaru sighed as she approached her friend. "Damn it, you sound just like Naota. It's okay to admit you need help you know." She squatted and smiled. "Right, Naota?"

Naota gave a sheepish grin, "Right." He said worriedly.

"You've been taking on so much on your own," Ryou said. "Because you want to save Subaru. But you have us. Tell us what to do and we'll help you. We just need some guidance and we'll be able to topple the Organization."

"Tell us where to aim and we'll shoot." Nayuta said with a smile.

Ross was completely oblivious to this. He was hopping up and down in the water and cheering. "Hey guys, the water's great, you should come in!" He called out.

"Idiot," groaned Hikaru.

Naota looked up. His eyes sparkled with sorrow. "He's a really nice person," the boy stated. "You should be nicer to him. He really likes you."

A large wave knocked Ross over and quickly pulled off his shorts. Ross watched in embarrassment as the water carried his clothing to the shore. "Can someone get that for me?" He asked.

"Get it yourself," Hikaru challenged. "Don't worry, we won't tease you."

"Well, ummm, I'm kind of naked." Ross admitted. "And I don't think you want to see me naked."

Hikaru sighed as she grabbed the boy's shorts and carried them over to him. "Next time we hang out; please, please, _please_ wear underwear so I don't have to deal with any unwanted mental images."

Naota sighed as he watched his friend completely reject the male.

"Sorry," Ross apologized. "I just like going commando."

"TMI," Hikaru answered bluntly.

Ross slipped his shorts back on. He blushed brightly. "Wait, does that mean we'll be hanging out more?" He smiled at the idea, but before Hikaru could answer, another wave knocked them both over. Ross fell on top of Hikaru.

"The sea seems rather violent today," Emi commented. "I guess I'll just take a quick nap."

"Awww, just when I got here?" asked a new voice.

Nayuta looked up to see her older sister approaching. "Eirin, I was starting to get worried you couldn't make it."

She had braided her long black hair and put on a red one piece to wear to the beach. "Nonsense, I had to meet your friends some time. Well, I've met Emi before of course. But these are the people you're teaming up with to fight the Organization."

Ross was busy chatting with Hikaru out at sea, and completely missed the mention of the evil group.

Eirin continued. "I figure it's best that I join my efforts with theirs. After all, from what I understand, Emi has already delivered a series of major blows to their forces."

"It wasn't anything much," Emi admitted humbly. "I just picked off a few random members here and there. Until we can find out the puppet master orchestrating their movements, we won't be able to stop them. I just wish I could better understand their plans."

Eirin smiled. "Don't worry, I've been doing my own research and I think I know a bit about what their up to. But instead of getting into it now, I think it's best we relax for a little while. I don't know about you, but it's been a while since I had a chance to duel anyone for the fun of it. Anyone up for a quick game?"

Naota, Ryou, and Emi all sighed.

"Sorry, I'm sleepy," Emi apologized.

"No thanks," Ryou followed up.

"Hehe- after all that time training with you, I'm not up for it either," Nayuta said to her sister.

"Why not ask Hikaru?" Naota suggested.

Everyone turned to see the girl walking towards the shore. She was blushing brightly. "When we get back, someone remind me to bang my head against a wall until I forget this day."

"Hey, Hikaru," Naota began. "Wanna duel Eirin?"

Hikaru smiled. "Well, it would help me get my mind off of Ross." She walked toward the towel where she'd left her Duel Disk and Deck Box. "Okay Eirin, let's duel."

Suddenly, the area around them turned dark as green grass sprouted at their feet. A bright full moon hung in the sky.

"Sorry, that's the effect of my Duel Disk." Eirin explained. "Heh, we're really not dressed for this, are we?" She and Hikaru were still in their beach attire.

Ross soon followed Hikaru to the shore.

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"I'll make the first move," Hikaru called out. "I summon Maho Shoujo Shizuka!" (1400/1200) "When she's on the field, all my Maho Shoujo cards get an extra 300 attack points!" (1700/1200) "I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

Eirin grabbed a new card. "I activate The Cow that Jumped." She called out. "This card lets me take any Lunarian card from my deck and ad it to my hand. So I pick Lunarian Rabbit and summon it to the field." A white rabbit appeared on the field and began gently nibbling the grass. (1200/600) "Next I activate Polymerization to fuse the Maiden of Moonlight in my hand with my second Lunarian rabbit so that I can Fusion Summon Lunarian Archer!" (1800/1200) Eirin smiled. "I activate Invisible Full Moon! This raises the attacks of all my Lunarians by 500 points and stops you from activating Traps when they attack." The moon in the sky faded.

Hikaru wished she had Dimension Magic on the field.

"Go my Lunarians attack!"

Lunarian Archer fired an arrow that went straight through the magic girl. Lunarian Rabbit launched into a flying kick that toppled Hikaru.

**Hikaru: 1900**

"I activate The Jeweled Branch!" Eirin followed up. "And I end my turn. And my Invisible Full Moon gets a Phase Counter. This is good news for you because its effect isn't active when it has a Phase Counter on it."

Hikaru grabbed her next card and smiled. "I summon Asuka (1800/1000) and equip her with Maho Shoujo Advanced Staff. This boosts her attack by 300 points. "Next I activate my facedown Spell Card, Maho Shoujo Rose Blast! This let's me pick one Maho Shoujo and let her attack twice this turn, so go and crush both of her Lunarians!"

Hikaru smiled as her card unleashed a stream of magical energy on both of Eirin's monsters. "When Asuka deals any damage, my Life Points are increased by an equal amount."

**Hikaru: 2800**

**Eirin: 3100**

Hikaru smiled. "Your move."

Eirin drew two cards. "During my draw phase, if I have fewer cards than in my hand than you do, I get to draw two." She looked at her two new cards. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards," she narrated. With a smile on her face, Eirin played her next card. "I play Robe of the Fire Rat! Next I summon Lunarian Bull!" (1500/1300) "While he's on the field, my face up Spells can't be destroyed. Now I activate my Spell Card Lunar Rainbow. I can choose one Lunarian card in my graveyard and Special Summon. So I pick my Lunarian Rabbit!" (1200/600) "I follow up with Mochi Pounding which lets me Special Summon a Mochi Token. (0/0) "I end my turn and get another Phase Counter. Your move."

Hikaru smiled as she drew. "I summon Maho Shoujo Rei!" (1500/1300) "And I gain 400 Life Points for every Spell and Trap you control!"

**Hikaru: 4400**

Nayuta smiled as she turned to Naota. "Hikaru's really amazing, but she's no match for my sister. Eirin's going to win this duel easily.'

"Sorry, Nayuta," Naota apologized. "But I have faith in Hikaru. She has a habit of pulling out from behind. Not that she is behind at this point. She's the one in control."

"Tell me," Nayuta said with a smile. "Are you into old folktales?"

Naota gave a puzzled look.

Ryou gulped. "You mean the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter?"

Nayuta nodded.

"Now go," Hikaru ordered, "Asuka, attack her Lunarian Bull."

"I activate the effect of my Robe of the Fire Rat," Eirin countered. "When you target a Lunarian I control, I get to switch the target to another Lunarian. So I pick my Mochi Token!"

Asuka's attack crashed into the Lunarian Mochi Token and blew it to bits. Eirin's Life Points remained untouched. "I end my turn," Hikaru said with a grin. She didn't want to risk losing her Maho Shoujo Rei.

Eirin drew two cards. "My Mochi Pounding gives me a new Lunarian Mochi Token." (0/0) Eirin smiled. "Now I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two." She cycled through a few cards and smiled. "I activate Card of Sanctity so that we both draw until we have six cards."

Both girls refilled their hands. "I summon Lunarian Swordsman," Eirin narrated. A beautiful woman in a pink kimono appeared. She wore her long black hair in a braid, just like Eirin's. (1000/1000) "She gets 400 extra attack points for every other Lunarian I have on the field." (2200/1000) "Attack her Asuka!"

The warrior leapt forth and slashed through Asuka, shattering her new staff.

"When a Maho Shoujo equipped with Advanced Staff is about to be destroyed, this card is destroyed instead.

**Hikaru: 4300**

"Next I activate Stone Begging Bowl of Buddha!" Eirin played one last card for the turn. "Now I end my turn and get another Phase Counter."

Hikaru drew. "I summon Emi to the field so I can draw a new card." Hikaru smiled as she grabbed her new card. "I sacrifice her to activate Dimension Magic and Special Summon Kimiko (1600/1400) and destroy your Bull!" Kimiko's staff spat fire at the Lunarian.

Eirin smiled. "Sorry, but my Robe won't let you. I switch the attack over to my Mochi Token." She watched her blob of Mochi burn in the fire.

"Kimiko's effect still activates though. When one of your monsters is destroyed by an effect, you take 600 damage."

**Eirin: 2500**

Eirin smiled and laughed. "You're pretty good Hikaru. But if you don't hurry up it won't make a difference." She reached for her deck. "My bowl's effect kicks in. When I take damage outside of battle, I get to pick up the top card of my deck. If that card is a Spell, I can add it to my hand. If not, I can either return it to my deck or discard it. It's not a card I want so I'll send it to the grave." She slipped her Mirror Force away.

"I set three cards and end my turn," said Hikaru. She didn't have anything powerful enough to take on Swordsman. She also couldn't get rid of it as long as robe of the Fire Rat was in play, all her spells would be redirected at something else. She couldn't get rid of Robe of the Fire Rat until she destroyed Lunarian Bull first. She sighed. _'I either need a spell that can wipe all her monsters out or a monster strong enough to get rid of that Swordsman.'_

Eirin had more cards than Hikaru, so she only drew one. "Mochi Pounding gives me a Lunarian Mochi Token," she repeated with a smile. "Next I remove three phase counters from Invisible Full Moon to draw a card." Eirin smiled as she grabbed her next card. "Of course that means my monsters get 500 extra attack points for this turn."

"I activate Maho Shoujo Last Gift!" Hikaru didn't want to waste the card so early, but she never knew what was coming next. She removed Emi from her grave and increased her Life Points by 1200.

**Hikaru: 5500**

Eirin smiled. "I summon Lunarian Witch." She called out. A Beautiful witch with short blonde hair and a bright pink robe flew down from the sky. (500/500) "I use her effect. By sending Spells from my side of the field to the grave, I can raise her attack by 500 each until the end of the turn. So I send Invisible Full Moon and Mochi Pounding the grave." The fake moon reappeared in the sky.

(1500/500)

"Why would she do that?" Ross asked. "Invisible Full Moon would have given all her monsters 500 attack points and stopped Hikaru's Traps."

"She was making room," Naota surmised.

"I activate Dragon's Colored Jewel!" Eirin called out. "This card lets me send Lunarians from my field to the grave to increase my Life Points. But, that doesn't matter so much. By sacrificing a Lunarian on the field, I can Special Summon my favorite card. So say good night to Lunarian Rabbit and hello to my Lunarian Princess-Kaguya!' (2000/2000)

Kaguya wore a red ribbon in her long, silky black hair. She had a beautiful radiant glow and wore a lovely red kimono.

Nayuta smiled. "It's all over."

"Next I activate my final card, Swallow's Seashell. Normally, this card lets me special summon Lunarians from my deck if I have none, but I don't need that effect right now."

"What's going on?" Ross asked.

Ryou answered. "In the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Kaguya was a princess from the moon. She was very beautiful. Five princes asked for her hand in marriage, so she sent each of them after a rare and valuable object. Buddha's stone begging bowl, a jeweled branch, the robe of the fire rat, a colored jewel from a dragon's neck, and a seashell treasure. She said she would marry the prince who completed her request, but they all failed."

Eirin smiled. "If I have Kaguya on the field along with her five requests, I can declare an instant victory."

A glorious light shined down from the moon, enveloping Kaguya. She rose into the air as beams of light bounced all around her. She raised her arms above her head and fired a beam of light at Hikaru.

**Hikaru: 5500 Instant Defeat**

**Eirin: 2500**

Hikaru smiled as the holograms all vanished. "Wow, that was amazing. I didn't know you had an instant victory deck."

Eirin smiled. "Yes, it's how I win most of my duels. "The problem is that I need six cards to declare my victory, and sometimes they aren't as helpful as others."

Hikaru laughed. "Man, I don't know how anyone can beat you. You protected your cards so well. And here I was, worried that you'd use Invisible Full Moon to power all your monsters and beat me with raw power."

Naota smiled. "Well, you look like you had fun."

"Yeah, it's nice to relax every once in a while." Hikaru said. "And it's great to be able to duel just for fun."

Emi smiled as she rose to her feet. "Well, who else is hungry?" She asked. "I brought a ton of food." She motioned to her picnic basket.

"I know I am," said Ross. "Just let me go rinse off in the shower real quick." He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Hikaru watched as the boy walked towards the outdoor showers. He slipped his shorts off and left them on the ground then turned on the water. He closed his eyes and paid no attention to the world around him while he tried to rinse the sand out of his rear.

Hikaru slowly crept towards him and snatched up his trunks. "Hey, Ross, next time you should pay more attention."

He opened his eyes and gasped. "Hey, give those back," he protested. He began chasing Hikaru, but she was too fast for him. He waved one arm around frantically as he used the other to hold up his towel.

Naota laughed as he saw his friend running away from the boy.

"Come on, I'm serious," Ross pleaded.

"Come on and catch me," Hikaru challenged.

'_Still though, I wonder why he annoys her so much,' _Naota thought. _'It couldn't be that, no,' _before he could finish, Naota fell to his knees, coughing blood.


	18. Forbidden Power: Daisuke's Typo Deck!

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything not .hack, not Yu-Gi-Oh GX, and not Pokémon **

**Okay some serious stuff happens then we get some comic relief before some more stuff**

**At least, I think it's comic relief…I dunno**

**PS more on how the Hell employees are screwing up like this at a later time.**

**Oh and please don't kill me for the Pokémon card. **

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Ender walked through a cold and dark desert. The wind howled as it whipped up storms of sand. A female with flowing black hair stood before him. She had dark skin and wore a beautiful black dress the fell elegantly to her knees.

"Why have you summoned me, Linden?" Ender's voice held only respect. "Is something wrong?"

"Skeith believes that Cthulhu's human partner isn't fit for the task of freeing the Octogram from their prison. I told him that any human who had your approval must surely be worthy of our trust. He refuses to believe me."

"I see," Ender stated. "Is there any way I can help to convince Skeith of Takuya's worthiness?"

"I was hoping you could convince Takuya to visit our world. But that may have to wait. While I was waiting for you, I sensed the presence of a human."

"Impossible! No human can enter this world without the Octogram's aid." Ender gasped in surprise.

Linden crossed her arms and sighed. "That's what worried me."

"You don't think that the other side has started to move do you?" Ender seemed shocked and worried.

'Yes, the War of the Octogram may be starting soon," Linden wasn't thrilled. "So I have to ask; how goes your progress with the boy?"

"Naota? All goes well," Ender said with a smile. "So, shall we pay the intruder a visit?"

"Yes," Linden answered playfully.

Somewhere far away in the desert, a silver-haired boy smiled. "Hehe, so this is where you live huh?" He asked his Duel Spirit companion.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Naota smiled sheepishly when the nurse saw him. "I guess I might as well move in here soon," he joked. The nurse might have laughed if Naota hadn't coughed blood five seconds later.  
"Oh my God, what's wrong?" The nurse cried. She rushed to Naota's side and grabbed him from Ross. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask you two to wait outside," she said to Hikaru and Ross. They were still dripping wet from the beach and their feet were covered with sand.

"Just make sure he's okay," Hikaru begged. "He's really sick; there should be a medical file on him. We thought he was doing better though. His parents took him to a doctor who said he should be able to handle coming to this academy."

"Calm down, Hikaru," I'm fine, Naota lied.

"No you're not," Hikaru screeched. "I should have, I should have seen this coming. You've been fainting a lot recently; I should have known the other symptoms would show up soon." She fell to her knees sobbing. "I should have taken better care of you."

"It's not your fault," Naota sighed. "The doctors said I got better."

"But they said that they had no clue why, and that the symptoms could come back at."

"What is going on!?" Nayuta demanded. She was starting to panic. "H-how sick is he?" She started shaking, half because she was cold and half because she was really scared.

"Really sick," Hikaru answered through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry," said the nurse, "We'll do our best to take care of him."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"I should have known," scoffed Ender. "Out of everyone on _that _side of the Octogram, you'd be the most likely to go out and bring a human here. What are you two after?"

A large mouse stood at Yuu's feet. He had yellow fur with brown stripes and a lightning bolt shaped tail. "I see you're as friendly as ever, Ender," he said.

"Enough, Pikachu," growled Ender, "tell me your plans or we'll crush the human." He pointed at Yuu threateningly.

Yuu smiled. "Crush me? Go ahead and try," he challenged. He activated his Duel Disk. "So who am I dueling? Two of you at once?"

Linden smiled. "I'll be more than enough to crush whatever you have hidden up your sleeve."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Emi and Ryou had changed so they could keep Naota company, but Eirin and Nayuta decided to wait with Hikaru and listen to her story.

"When Naota was about twelve, he got very sick. The doctors tried more tests than I can remember, but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He was fainting all the time, coughing blood, and at times, he could barely breathe. A friend of ours had rich parents, so they took him to the very best doctors around, but they had no clue either. All they could figure out was that, whatever it was, the disease was slowly killing him. Suddenly, without any explanation, he got better one day. After months of sickness, all his symptoms vanished without a trace."

Nayuta was trembling.

"When Naota wanted to come to the Academy, his parents took him to the doctors to make sure he was okay. They said he was fine. So we came. I thought everything was fine. When he started fainting again, I tried to convince myself it was nothing," the tears began flowing down her cheek. "I was such an idiot!"

Ross hugged her tightly and she buried her face in his chest.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Takuya yawned. "Hey, Cthulhu, something wrong?" He asked his Spirit Partner.

"I sense something in my world," the creature responded.

"The World of the Octogram?" Takuya asked.

"Yes, a human has entered. It means that the other side is making their move. This is not good."

"Other side?" Takuya asked.

"Yes, the Octogram is split into opposing sides," Cthulhu answered. "While all of us need to be freed for your plan to work, there are members of the Octogram who would rather bring about our destruction than see the world bent to our will."

"How interesting, hmm," Takuya paused for a moment. "Is that Daisuke? He's one of the Organization's highest-ranking members. He's one of the successful attempts. I wonder why he's heading to the nurses."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"I heard that Naota kid got sick," Daisuke said to Hikaru. "That true?"

"Yeah," she sniffed, "Why?"

"I wanted to see if it was true or if he was just faking 'cause he wants an excuse out of the tournament next week. He was talking real big about how he was gonna do his best, but he probably realized that he stood no chance and chickened out."

"Shut up," Hikaru growled.

"Make me," Daisuke said threateningly.

"Listen here, if you don't leave my friends alone I'm going to have to teach you a lesson." Ross said protectively. He cracked his knuckles.

Daisuke was too fast. He landed a single punch to Ross' stomach that knocked the poor teen unconscious.

"Resorting to violence?" Eirin scoffed. "This is Duel Academia. If you have a problem, we duel," Eirin was about to activate her Duel Disk, when Emi exited the nurse's office.

"Leave him to me." She commanded. "If he's who I think he is, nobody else stands a chance."

Daisuke activated his Duel Disk and smiled. "Wrong, nobody at all can beat _my _deck."

Emi smiled as she activated her Duel Disk. "Sorry, but I have a special deck made just to fight yours." She grabbed six cards. "I set four cards facedown and end my turn." Four cards appeared on her field.

Daisuke drew his cards. "I summon Eternal Kirin of the Night in attack mode." (17000/300) A pitch-black kirin appeared on the field, causing Nayuta to gasp.

"What the Hell? Did someone add an extra zero to that thing's attack?" she asked.

Emi nodded. "Like Ryou told everyone, Industrial Illusions employees occasionally create cards with a serious typo on them. These typos are rather game breaking so the cards are locked away, because Pegasus feels that no card should have to be destroyed. Somehow the Organization has gotten their hands on these cards."

"I activate Heavy Storm to destroy all your traps so I can attack you directly." Daisuke smiled as he played his card.

"I activate the Judgment of Anubis." Emi countered his move spectacularly. "You should have used Heavy Strom first, before summoning, and then maybe you'd have won. But now all I have to do is discard a single card and your Heavy Storm is negated, your monster destroyed, and you take 17000 points of damage."

Daisuke looked on in disbelief. Nayuta actually doubled over laughing.

"Oh-my-God that was funny. He got _pwned_. His kids are going to feel that, ahahahaha."

"That was a fluke," Daisuke insisted. "One more time. I summon Warrior of the Great Wall." (4000/2000) "And I set two cards facedown and end my turn." Daisuke's monster looked like the Giant Soldier of Stone. He waited for Emi to make her move, so he could activate his Ring of Destruction.

Emi drew. "I activate Spiritualism to return your first card to your hand. Then I activate Mystical Space Typhoon on the other." She blasted away his Barrel Behind the Door. "Next I use Snatch Steal to control your monster and attack you directly."

Daisuke lost again. "Damn it, one more time."

"You'll just lose again," Emi warned.

"No I won't," Daisuke protested.

"Fine, but let's both bet our decks on this duel," Emi suggested. Daisuke nodded with a grin.

"I'll make the first move," Emi warned. "I set three cards facedown and end my turn."

Daisuke drew. "That's it, I finally win. You see, typo cards aren't the only cards they sealed away."

"What's he ranting about?" Nayuta asked.

"Instant victory," Daisuke laughed. A green glow surrounded the arena. "When I win this duel, your soul is mine, Emi. And don't think I'm like the others, I have enough control over my powers to stop you from negating them."

Emi frowned. "I guess you have _that _card, don't you." She sighed. "I hoped the stories were a lie."

"What stories?" Hikaru asked.

"They say that one day, a disgruntled employee created a card that let you instantly win the game, all on its own, with no restrictions. He auctioned it off and reportedly got several trillion American Dollars for it. The top bidder was Kaiba. But not even he was foolish enough to actually use it. He said something like that ruined the integrity of the game, so he returned the card to Pegasus. It always saddened me to think that someone would create such a card and threaten to ruin the balance of the game forever."

"This is the end," Daisuke warned. "Instant defeat is coming for you, Emi."

Nayuta and Hikaru both started to shiver. Eirin only smiled.

"I summon The Moon God of Night-Tsukiyomaru!" (∞/∞) "I win."

Tsukiyomaru looked like a young male. He wore a black cloak decorated with bits of white armor and carried a large gark scythe. He had one black angel wing and a white demon wing.

A blue glow started to surround the card.

Emi sighed. "You know, I can't believe that the card's creator would go so far and yet not make it immune to traps. I activate Skill Drain to negate your monster's effect."

**Emi: 3000**

"Grrr, I attack you directly," Daisuke screamed. He was completely ignoring the traps.

"Draining Shield, negate his attack and convert his strength into my Life Points."

**Emi: ∞**

"I, I can't believe it. Well, it doesn't matter. Next turn I'll just attack you and deal you infinite damage," Daisuke threatened. "I end my turn."

"I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device," Emi said calmly. "This returns your Tsukiyomaru to your hand. Next, I use Mystical Space Typhoon on my Skill Drain, and I play Exchange so we each get a card in each other's hands. Naturally, I pick Tsukiyomaru. I summon him and win."

**Eirin: **∞

**Daisuke: 4000 Instant Defeat**

Daisuke fell to his knees. He was stunned and humiliated.

Nayuta began choking on her laughter.

Emi glared at Daisuke, "Your cards," she demanded.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"So, what's your name?" Yuu asked. He grabbed five cards. "I'm Yuu."

"We're here to duel, not exchange pleasantries," Linden scoffed.

"Banter is much easier when you know your opponent's name." Yuu smiled.

"Ugh, fine, I'm Linden," she said. "I'll make the first move."

"I summon Linden Angel in attack mode," said Linden. A beautiful angel in green robes floated down from the sky. She had long red hair and a beautiful golden halo.

"Wow, your name is Linden and you have a Linden Angel? That's funny," laughed Yuu. "So tell me, did you pick that card or was it made for you?"

Linden scoffed. "Take this duel seriously or I will crush you," she scowled at the young boy. "These cards were created for me by the great Skeith. They hold untold power and I won't let you insult them with your laughter."

"Wow, someone is in a bad mood," Yuu commented with a yawn.

"I release my Linden Angel to Special Summon another Linden monster from my hand, so say hello to my Linden Sprite." (0/0) A small Sprite appeared on the field. She was very tiny, and wore bright green colors. She had short gray hair and looked cute. "I use her effect. Once per turn I can choose a Linden card in my grave to remove you from play. Then you take 1000 points of damage."

A green light erupted from the sprite's palms and shot toward Yuu, knocking a fourth of his Life points away.

**Yuu: 3000**

"I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

Yuu drew his next card. "Not bad, that thing can do some serious damage if I don't get rid of it, huh?" He closed his eyes as he played his next card. "I play Zodiac Mage Aries!" (1500/500) "Attack her Sprite."

Aries tossed a fireball at the Sprite, but a sudden downpour of green rain negated the attack. "I activate my Trap Card, Linden Rain. I can send discard one Linden Monster from my hand to negate an attack."

Suddenly, there was a large explosion that knocked Linden over.

**Linden: 3500**

"Aries effect deals my opponent 500 damage every time they negate a Spellcaster's attack. Now I set three cards and end my turn."

Linden grunted as she drew her next card. "I activate Sprite's effect to remove a card from my graveyard and deal another 1000 points of damage."

Green light enveloped Yuu and cut his Life Points down to one-half of his original.

**Yuu: 2000**

"Next I summon Linden Harpist." (1000/1000) She summoned a girl with long blonde hair. She was draped in elegant green robes. "I use her effect to send one Linden monster in my deck to the grave and raise my life Points by 1000.

**Linden: 4500**

"I end my turn." Linden said with a smile.

Yuu grunted as he grabbed his next card. "I Summon Zodiac Mage Cancer!" (1300/1700) "I use his effect to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand. So I bring out, Zodiac Mage Leo!" (2000/0) "Go, Leo, attack her Sprite!"  
"I activate Negate Attack!" Linden called out. An invisible barrier blocked Leo's magic blast. Aries snapped his finger, and a small explosion knocked a bit of Linden's Life Points away.

**Linden: 4000**

"I end my turn," Yuu said with a smile.

Linden grabbed her next card. "I activate Harpist's effect to increase my Life Points and then use Sprite's to lower yours."

**Yuu: 1000**

**Linden: 5000**

"Your move." Linden smiled. "Make it count."

Yuu yawned. "Do you honestly think you're winning? Don't you know what the Octogram can do? I activate my facedown spell, Magic from Another Realm. It let's me choose any card in my extra deck and send it to my grave. So I pick Zodiac Mage Ophiuchus!" Yuu smiled. "I follow up with Miracle Aura Spell. I pick one Spellcaster in my graveyard and remove him from play. Next I discard my hand. Finally I get to draw cards equal to his level." He slipped his only card into the graveyard. "So I'm choosing Ophiuchus, and I draw thirteen cards!"

Linden gasped. She knew that this could spell trouble.

"Now I activate Spiritualism to send that card on your field back to your hand." Yuu smiled. "Ready, buddy?" he asked his spirit partner. "I release my three Zodiac Mages to Summon Pikachu from my hand!" (3000/2500)

"Wait, but that means!" Linden gasped.

"I discard a Trap Card from my hand to activate Pikachu's third effect. If I can get him to attack you directly this turn, you lose the duel. And I follow up by destroying your cards with Lightning Vortex!"

An electric storm zapped Linden's cards away.

"Pikachu, direct attack! Volt Tackle!" Yuu snapped his fingers. His partner leapt forward and tackled the other duelist.

**Yuu: 1000**

**Linden: 2000 Instant Defeat**

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"But I want to duel in the tournament," Naota begged.

"I'm sorry," said the nurse. "But you're too sick, we need to monitor you."

"Isn't there any way I can go? What if I promise to call in an emergency?"

"How about this, we'll monitor you tomorrow, and if you seem to be doing well, we'll let you participate?" The nurse sighed.

Naota smiled. "Thanks so much, I really don't want to miss the tournament."

Hikaru sat outside, just below the window. "Naota," she whispered. "Please be careful."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"What do you want?" Linden growled at Yuu.

"I hear that you guys are making life rather difficult for my friend Naota. I'd like you to stop."

"Make us," Ender spat.

"Sadly, I can't," Yuu said with a yawn. "But I do know that you need him, so he's safe for now. So I'm hear to warn you, if you think that you can just use hi and then throw him away, think again. The second you try it I will come storming back here and do whatever it takes to stop your plans."

"I'd like to see you try," Linden said with a smirk.

"Well, sorry," Yuu apologized sarcastically. "But I won't try it, I'll succeed, so don't give me a good reason." He turned to leave. "Oh, and believe me, even if you don't provoke me, don't think I'm above making the first move. I know the key to saving Naota is in here somewhere, and I sure as Hell won't let you guys kill him without a fight."


	19. Montage Rush

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

**Author's Note: I'll spare you from the boring details, let's **_**rush**_** into the good stuff…… Yeah I like Spellcasters, okay? Errr, I hope none of these effects exist on actual cards. Sorry it's a little short.  
**

---

Naota's next day was uneventful as he sat in bed playing his PSP. Hikaru, Nayuta, and the others all visited. They were all excited.

"It starts tomorrow," they all said. "Are you sure you'll be fine?" He nodded.

Then, the next day came. Everyone was given a single star chip. "Try to get ten," the teachers said. "And then head to the Obelisk Blue Duel Dome!"

"Don't worry Hikaru," said Naota, "I promise to call if I feel sick."

---

Takuya smiled. "Wow, everyone is scrambling to make it into the tournament finals. Ten star chips are all it takes, so this could be over really fast."

---

Indeed everyone was scrambling.

"I activate Unity on my Stone Statue of the Aztecs, bringing his defense up to 7000. Furthermore, his effect doubles the 5000 points of battle damage you receive, meaning your Life Points drop from 7000 to 0." He snapped his fingers.

"Looks like you win," said the other player. She handed over a Star Chip, bringing Naota's total up to 6. He had been winning easily lately. Mashmallon was usually good enough to get in a few points of damage and then Unity really piled on the hurt. One of his opponent's combed Legendary Ocean with Terror King Salmon to summon a powerful 2600 monster with out any tributes. Luckily, Naota was able to block that with his newly added Neo Aqua Madoor and a little help from Double Summon. In one of his earliest duels, his furry friend Kuriboh easily halted a nearly lethal direct attack. To top it all off, the headmaster called to tell him that nobody had claimed Millennium Knight.

"I activate Ring of Destruction, which means we both take 4000 points of damage."

"Sorry, but once per duel, Millennium Knight can negate effect damage," Naota cried.

He'd be in the finals by now if he had bet more chips on his duels.

---

Morganna smiled as she finished off the final man in the four-way duel. "Looks like I'm getting three new star chips," she commented. In her first duel, she quadrupled her one chip into four, making great progress. "I wonder what Takuya's up to." She mused.

She didn't really care. She just didn't have anything better to think of. Her victory had taken no effort.

---

"Finish this, my Gladiator Beasts," said the man. He was one of the Pros invited to the tournament. The school thought it would be a good idea to let the students challenge some of the lower ranking pro duelists to see how they stacked up. It was a good way to see if they were ready to enter the pro league when they graduated.

"Pathetic, is this the best you brats can pull off?" He scoffed.

"Hey," challenged a voice. Hikaru was fuming as she stepped up top the man. "You should treat your opponent's with respect."

"Oh really?" the man laughed. "How about this, I'll bet my three star chips and if you win, then I'll show you some respect. But when you lose you have to kiss my feet."

Hikaru took him down easily.

---

"Go, Eraser Rain, deal us both 1000 Points of damage, minus 200 points to my damage for every Velonica Card I control that is." Her Life Points remained safely at 1000 while her opponent's vanished. "That was a fun game. Next time someone from the Orgy comes to get me, why not make it someone with some actual talent?"

"How about me?" Suggested a new challenger.

Nayuta turned to her opponent. She smiled.

She won that duel as well.

---

"Rose Knight Mia, attack him directly." Ryou thought his opponent's Five God Dragon might have been a challenge. He thought the second one would be an impossible monster to defeat. He was afraid the third would make his situation hopeless. But with a little help from Mia, it was easy enough to take control of two dragons and use them to beat the final one. He was only a single direct attack away from victory.

"Man, I thought I had that won. I guess you really do deserve your reputation. Here are your five star chips. Good luck in the finals."

"Thanks," said Ryou.

As happy as he was, one thing was really bothering him. _'I wonder how Emi's investigation is going.'_

---

A young Ra Yellow walked through the fields. He tossed his four Starchips into the air and caught them easily. He had short blond hair and a big grin. "Ha, I thought dueling the pros would be fun but that was just amazing." He said to himself. "I still can't believe I lost though. Man, that Ashton really is good."

"Did you say Ashton?" another boy asked with ferocious curiosity. "So he made it? Cool I was wondering if he'd come."

"I take it you're a fan of his?" The blond asked.

"You could say that," the boy answered. "My name is Naota!"

"I'm Haley," the blond responded. "Hey, since we're here, want to duel?"

"Okay, that sounds fun. Is it okay if we wager four star chips?" Naota asked.

Haley nodded.

---

"Three star chips huh?" Hikaru asked the boy. "That all, Isamu?"

He wore an Obelisk uniform and had spiky brown hair. "Well, yeah, I may be good but I know better than to bet four of my chips five chips against you, Hikaru. You do have a reputation as a good duelist."

"Thanks," she responded. "Let's duel."

And so the two duels began.

---

Naota drew six cards. "I activate Twilight Barrier to Special Summon Millennium Shield." (0/3000) Then I sacrifice my shield to Special Summon Millennium Knight in defense mode!" (3000/3000) "Next I set one card and end my turn."

Haley drew his next card. "I summon Prime Red Wizard," he called out. (700/700) He looked like a small Dark Magician in a red outfit. "I activate my Spell Card Bond of the Spellcasters. I can only activate this if I have a Level 3 or lower Spellcaster on my field. Next I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Spellcaster from my hand and destroy one monster." He grabbed a new card and played it. "Secondary Purple Witch!" (900/900) she looked like a younger Dark Magician Girl, except her outfit was made out of different shades of purple. "Now you can't activate traps against them this turn, and I get to destroy one monster your control!"

The two Spellcasters crossed staves and fired a stream of reddish purple light at Naota's Millennium Knight, shattering it like a piece of glass. "Now I use Magician's Unite. When I have two or more Spellcasters I can pick one and raise its attack to 3000 until the turn ends. However, I can't attack with my other Spellcasters. So, go, my Witch, attack him directly."

A purple stream of light knocked Naota off his feet.

**Naota: 1000**

"I set one card facedown and end my turn," Haley said with a smile.

Naota drew his next card. "I summon Nightmare Horse." (500/400) "And I use his effect to attack you directly!" The card galloped forward and knocked into Haley.

**Haley: 3500**

"I set another card facedown and end my turn." Naota held his breath while Haley drew his card.

"I summon Prime Blue Wizard!" (700/700) Haley stated. His card looked like a blue version of Prime Red. "Now I can release my Red and Blue to boost Purple's attack by 2000 points!" (2900/900) "Attack his horse."

"I activate Magic Cylinder!" Naota called out. A pair of cylinders appeared in front of Purple's blast of light. The first cylinder ate the attack while the second belched it back out at Haley. Haley fell to the ground as his own attack crashed back into him.

**Haley: 600**

The Ra Yellow grunted. "Not bad, I should have seen that coming. Oh well, it's not like I didn't have back up plans for this. I set a card and end my turn."

Naota drew a card. I activate Heavy Storm and destroy all Spells and Traps on the field. Next I set a monster facedown and attack you directly with my Horse. Then I use Mystic Wok to get rid of my Horse."

**Haley: 100**

**Naota: 1500**

The Ra Yellow was nearly defeated. "I equip my Purple with Fairy Meteor Crush and attack your monster."

"You attacked Marshmallon, which means you take 1000 points of damage. I win," Naota said with a smile.

"Sorry Naota, this duel is just starting." Haley said with a grin. "I activate Magic Tempest Ragnarok. When you deal me any effect damage, I can release a Spellcaster with attack higher than that damage. Then, the damage is negated and I steal Life Points from you equal to that amount."

Naota felt like his Life Force was being sucked out of him. He could see energy flowing from his disk to Haley's. _'Why does this hurt so much?' _He thought to himself.

**Haley: 1600**

**Naota: 500**

"Now I activate my Spell Card, Magician's Appearing Act! If this card is the only card in my hand, I can Special Summon a Spellcaster from my deck as long as I remove one from my grave with a higher attack. So I get rid of my Purple and bring out Foolish Wizard Neophyte!" (500/500) His card's face was painted white with make up so he looked just like a clown. He wore tattered black robes held together with safety pins and decorated with countless white patches sewn on.

---

Hikaru made the first move. "I summon Maho Shoujo Touka and set one card facedown." She concluded with, "I end my turn." (800/300)

"I summon Herculean Brute," (1700/1300) Isamu smiled. "When he destroys your monsters in battle, you take 300 Points of damage. So go and attack her Touka." A muscular man with a thick beard and no shirt began charging at the little girl on Hikaru's field. "This looks so wrong," Isamu commented."

"I activate Dimension Rift!" Hikaru countered. "When you attack a Spellcaster I can remove that Spellcaster from play to negate that attack." Touka vanished into a mystic rift. "Now Touka's effect activates, that let's me Special Summon a Maho Shoujo from my deck, so come on out Keiko." (1500/1100) "When she gets Special Summoned she can destroy any monster on the field!" She launched a spell at Brute and blasted him to pieces.

"I set two cards and end my turn." Isamu stated.

Hikaru drew. I normal summon Maho Shoujo Emi and draw a card because of her effect." (1200/1100) "Now I activate my Spell Card, Magician's Unite! I can choose one Spellcaster and boost her attack to 3000. Sadly, this means that my other Spellcasters can't attack. So I'll boost Keiko's attack and let her attack you directly!"

"Go, Will of Strength. I can remove one Warrior from my grave so that your attacking monster loses strength until the turn ends. So I get rid of herculean Brute to reduce your monster's attack by 1700."

**Isamu: 2300**

"Not bad," Hikaru admitted.

Isamu smiled. "Thanks, although your move was brilliant. Attacking must have taken guts though, considering the number of traps that would have devastated you at the moment."

"Not really, Magic Cylinder is the only thing that would have been much of a threat. Even if you did something to raise your Life Points, I'd still have ways of bringing you back down. Well, I set two cards and end my turn," she said suddenly.

Isamu drew a new card. "I play Anti-Trap Technician." (1300/1200) "He gets 400 points for every facedown card you have," Isamu called out. "When he attacks, you aren't allowed to use any facedown cards." He smiled. "Attack his Emi!" The Technician tossed a few tools at Emi.

**Hikaru: 3100**

"Next I activate my own facedown trap card Warrior Beyond the End. When a warrior I control destroys one of your monsters, I can Special Summon a warrior that has been removed from play. So I bring back my Brute. Now, attack his Keiko!" he knew this was a bit of a risk, but he was willing to take the chance. His monster punched straight through the young girl. (1700/1300) "Now you take 300 extra damage."

**Hikaru: 2600**

"I set one card facedown and end my turn," said Isamu.

Hikaru drew. "I summon Asuka!" (1800/1000) "And I reveal my two facedowns so that your technician loses his attack point bonus. Go, Familiar Summoning! When I have a Spellcaster on the field I can Special summon a Beast from my deck as long s its attack is lower." Hikaru smiled. "Come on out, King Tiger Wanghu!" (1700/1000) Hikaru summoned a fierce armored tiger. "Now any monster you Normal or Special Summon will be destroyed. "And now go, Familiar Ritual! I can choose a Spellcaster on the field and raise its attack by an amount equal to the Beasts. There are restrictions of course. The Beast has to be the same level, and it can't attack, but that's okay. Go, Asuka, attack Technician!" She smiled. "You may be wondering why I didn't split the attack. The answer is simple. When Asuka damages you, I recover that many Life Points!"

**Isamu: 100**

**Hikaru: 4800**

"I activate Michizure and destroy your Tiger!" Isamu countered.

Hikaru watched her Tiger go Kaboom!

"I set a card and end my turn," Hikaru stated.

Isamu drew. "Graceful Charity lets me seek out new cards," he explained. "Alright here we go, the most famous combo known in _any_ Warrior deck! I summon Marauding Captain!" (1200/400) The famous scarred warrior appeared in front of Isamu. "Since he let's me Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Warrior I bring out Command Knight!"(1200/1900) "She raises the attack of all Warriors by 400 Points." Isamu grabbed his final card. "And I play The A. Forces. Now all my Warriors are getting an extra 200 attack points for every Warrior I control. Go, my Warriors, All-Out Onslaught!"

Her monsters all ran forward. Herculean Brute was first, and he punched through Hikaru's Maho Shoujo, dropping her Life Points to 3600. Command Knight was next, slicing Hikaru's defenseless body with her sword.

**Hikaru: 1400**

"End this, Marauding Captain!"

"Go, Maho Shoujo Last Gift! I remove Asuka from my grave to recover Life Points!"

**Hikaru: 3200**

The attack came through.

**Hikaru: 1000**

"I end my turn," stated Isamu.

Hikaru smiled. "I summon Chiyo." (1000/1000) "She lets me add a Spell from my deck into my hand. So I play Dimension Runes and offer her for Keiko!" (1500/1100) Dimension Runes destroys you're A. Forces and Keiko blasts your Command Knight away! Next she attacks your marauding Captain to win this duel!"

**Isamu: 0**

"Damn, you're good," Isamu complimented as he handed his chips over.

"Thanks," Hikaru said with a smile. "Now, I would love to stay and chat, but I have a friend to check up on."

---

"Now I activate my Foolish Wizard's Effect. I can remove a Spellcaster in my grave from play to let him attack you directly!" Haley shouted out. Foolish Wizard Neophyte vanished for a second and reappeared behind Naota. He launched an energy ball into the boy's back.

"I discard Kuriboh to negate the attack," Naota said with a smile.

"I end my turn," Haley said flatly.

Naota drew a card. "I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Next, I release my Marshmallon to Advance Summon Millennium Shield. (0/3000) I activate Shield and Sword to switch the attacks and defenses of all monsters on the field. Millennium Shield, crush his Neophyte Wizard."

Haley smiled as the shield flattened his monster. The impact of the attack sent dust flying, but when it cleared, his Life Points were untouched. "Sorry, but that's my card's second effect," Haley explained. "When it's destroyed by a monster I take no damage. If it had been destroyed by a Spell or Trap though, that would have been a different matter. My turn?" He drew a card. :I summon Secondary Witch Orange!" (900/900) "Attack his Shield!"

**Naota: 0**

Naota fell to his knees. He never stopped smiling.


	20. Montage Rush II Manticore's Beat Mix

**Author's Note: Aww man I noticed some errors with Life Point calculations in Chapter 5. Well onto the Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX.**

**Anyway this continues the transitional arc that leads to where we need to go. Basically somewhat like a montage.**

…

"Hey, Naota, are you okay?" Haley asked in concern.

"I'm fine," Naota responded. "That duel was pretty fun. I love these new cards. Maybe I should stop playing defensively and attack more often." He said aloud. _'Maybe I should even use the Starlights as my main deck… no, I'm not good enough. I don't deserve to use them. That one time was a special exception. But still, I guess I don't need to play so defensively after all.'_

Haley grinned. "You were pretty impressive in this duel. There were times when I thought for sure I'd lose. I'm surprised you're not a Ra Yellow at least."

They shook hands as students around them continued their own duels.

…

Two boys smiled as they pulled their Obelisk blue uniforms tightly over their bodies. "So much has changed these past few years at the academy," one boy said to the other. "Girls don't automatically get into Obelisk Blue anymore, new buildings show up all the time, and now we even have some normal classes. Sometimes it seems like a completely different place."

The second boy grinned. "Yeah, this place sure has changed, but the people are still the same. We're still a bunch of idiots clutching onto hopeless dreams."

"So, Sammy."

"Yes, Robert?"

"Feel like taking on our targets in a tag team duel?"

…

Emi sighed as she flipped through the school's duel records. _'I have a complete list of every duel that's happened for the past ten years. I should be able to figure something out.'_

She examined everything carefully. _'Daisuke, Hiroaki, Fumiko, Sousuke, Amber,' _she went through the names in her head as she looked through the records. _'Okay, it looks like Fumiko dueled with Sousuke not too long ago. If my calculations are correct, than members of the Organization do not often duel each other unless required by the school. So Fumiko is a recent recruit.'_

She sighed as she continued looking through everything.

…

"Bye," Naota waved to Haley as he walked away.

The sun hung low in the sky. The afternoon heat sent sweat dripping down Naota's face. _'Looks like I only have two starchips left. I need to be careful.' _He could taste the heat in his mouth. "I need water," he moaned.

_**Kanashimi to Chikara**_

Naota quickly answered his cell phone. "Hi Hikaru."

"Hey Naota where are you? I wanted to meet up with you really quick." Hikaru said over the phone.

"I have no clue where I am to tell you the truth," Naota sighed. "Wait, I think I can see you, turn around," he waved his arm frantically.

"Oh, I see you," Hikaru said as she hung up.

…

Nayuta smiled as she presented her ten star chips to the teacher waiting outside the Duel Dome.

"Congratulations Ms. Amachi," said the teacher. "I wish you good luck in the finals."

"Thanks," she said as she bowed her head. "I just hope my friends can make it here as well." She quickly peered inside the building to see if she could find any of her friends. "Ryou!" She exclaimed. "Well, I should have known you'd be here."

She hugged her friend, causing him to blush. "So how are you doing?"

"I'm doing well," Ryou told her. "But something's bothering me. H-have you heard the rumors?"

"What rumors?" Nayuta asked dully. "There are always rumors flying around. You'll need to be more specific."

"Well, I hear some students talking. They said that most of the Pros have been wiped out by a student from this school." Ryou shook with displeasure. It was intimidating to think there was someone that good here at the school.

"Are you serious? I know that some of the better students here are supposed to be able to go head to head against the pros, but to wipe them out? And why would you do that in the first place? It'd be much quicker to duel the students!"

"I-I think it's someone trying to make a statement. Like, look out everyone, I'm so good I can take on Pros. You don't stand a chance. They could be part of the organization, trying to cause anxiety."

…

Sammy and Robert smiled as they watched Hikaru and Naota from afar. "Those two don't realize what they're in for, do they?" Sammy laughed. "We just need to swoop in and win their stars."

"And we'll all be one step closer to finding Skeith."

Robert let out a lazy yawn as he reflected on the steps that led him here.

'_It as always my dream to be a card designer for Industrial Illusions. I loved making my own cards when I was a kid. I thought for sure I'd be able to get a job with them.'_

"You okay, Robert?"

He nodded. _'But I didn't realize how many tests you had to pass to prove your skill. I bombed the practice exam. Fourteen percent! How could I get so low?'_

He shook his head. "I can't let that bother me. Aiko-sama said that if I obeyed her orders everything would go well."

…

"Another one?" Gasped the nurse. "That's the fifth student to collapse today. What's going on here?"

…

"So how many stars do you have?" Hikaru questioned quizzically.

"I only have two," he answered in shame. "I was up to six but I lost."

"Oh too bad. I have eight." Hikaru smiled. "Don't worry there's still some time."

"Oh, so you two have a total of ten star chips?" Asked a voice. "How perfect! It's the same with us." He stood next to a friend. An Obelisk Blue uniform covered his body while his friend wore a Ra Yellow outfit. They both had short brown hair in a similar messy style. "My name is Sammy. This is my partner Robert. How would you two like to engage us in a Tag Team Duel? The two of us will wager five chips each and you two wager everything you have."

"Deal!" Hikaru answered eagerly.

"Hikaru. You'll be risking way more than me." Naota protested.

"Risking? Hah, there's no risk here." Hikaru shuffled her deck. "Game Start!"

…

Sammy sighed as the memories came.

"_Mommy," do you think I can really be a card designer one day?" Sammy asked his mother._

_She gazed at him with a warm and gentle smile. "Of course. You're so creative. One day I'm sure you'll be making some of the best cards in the game. Just be sure to send me some so I can show off to all my friends."_

He snapped out of his memories and focused on the duel. "I summon Lord of Crimson Wight in attack mode." (2400/0) A scary looking ghoul rose from the ground. It moaned in agony as it clawed its way to the surface. Naota could almost swear he smelled the foul odor of rotting flesh mixed in with the scent of fresh Earth.

The creature wore tattered robes over its rotting blue skin. A white eye popped from the left socket, while the right socket served as a home for a family of worms. Long white hair poked out of his head and fell forward into no interpretable hairstyle. "At the end of each of my turns, he sends the top card of my deck to my grave and at the start of every turn he sends the bottom card of my grave to the bottom of my deck. Now, he may seem powerful, but there's a catch. He loses 500 attack and defense points for every Spell in my graveyard. Currently there aren't any, so I set a card and end my turn."

His Duel Disk shot a card off the top of his deck. He smiled and slipped it away.

"Watashi no turn!" Naota said with a goofy grin. "Draw!" He glanced at his hand like a child examining the presents beneath a tree on Christmas morning. They all looked good but which was best? "I summon Scarecrow of the Nightingale." (1200/400) A scarecrow hopped onto Naota's field. He wore a blue cape and a matching rimless top hat. Three tiny birds rested on his shoulder. "When this card is in attack mode, I can Special Summon a Moonlight Nightingale from my hand. (400/400) One of the nightingales flew off the scarecrow and began resting peacefully on the ground. "I set one card and end my turn."

Robert drew a card. "I summon Luckless Rabbit in attack mode." (700/700) When he's summoned, all players must flip a coin. If they call it wrong, they take 1000 points of damage. I call heads."

"Tails," Sammy answered.

"Heads," Hikaru replied.

"Heads," Naota gulped.

The coins materialized on the field and hurled themselves through the air.

Heads, heads, tails, tails."

Three large explosions rocked the arena.

**Sammy and Robert 7000**

**Naota and Hikaru: 6000**

"Next I activate a spell card known as Double Summon. This way I can summon another one." (700/700) "Call it," he instructed. A second bunny joined the first.

"Heads!" They all said in unison.

The only one to get a heads was Robert.

**Sammy and Robert 6000**

**Naota and Hikaru: 4000**

"Now I release my two rabbits to Special Summon the Unlucky Gambler." (2000/2000) A man in a black tuxedo appeared. "Once per turn I can discard a card to activate the same effect.

It wasn't long before two large explosions rocked the place again.

**Sammy and Robert 5000**

**Naota and Hikaru: 3000**

"I'm sorry, Hikaru," Naota apologized.

"Hah, don't be. This is just the kind of handicap we need to make the duel more exciting!"

"I end my move," Robert announced.

Hikaru's hand size went up by one. "I hate using this card. It's so embarrassing. I summon Maho Shoujo-Hikaru!" (500/500) Her card looked nothing like her though. She had short red hair and wore a pink Sailor Fuku. "When she's Special Summoned I get to shuffle as many cards from my hand into my deck as I want. Then I draw new cards for each one." She fused her deck and hand and drew five new cards. "Much better. I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Sammy drew. "Before my monster's effect activates, I use Call of the Haunted to Special Summon the monster in my grave. Return from the land of the damned. I call thee, Lord of Azure White." A new monster tore through the Earth. Had it not been for the recolored outfit, he'd look the same as the last. (2700/0) "I'll have him attack your Hikaru."

The zombie moaned as it slowly trudged toward the young schoolgirl.

Hikaru smiled. "Naota, you know what to do."

The young boy held out his hand. "I activate my trap card, DNA Donation. First, I choose one monster on the field and switch its type to another of my choosing. So your monster becomes a Spellcaster. Now, whenever it attacks a monster of that same type, it loses half of its attack points."

Sammy watched his monster's attack drop to 1450. "Still not helping," he taunted.

"Go, Magician's Circle. This card can only be activated when a Spellcaster declares an attack. All players get to Special Summon a Spellcaster from their deck as long as it has less than 2000 attack."

'_I hate playing her in attack mode,' _Naota thought. "Come on out, Mystical Elf." (800/2000)

"I play Injection Fairy Lily." (400/1500) Robert laughed as his monster appeared.

"I don't have any," Sammy growled.

"So I'll bring out Maho Shoujo- Shizune." (1500/0) "On the turn she's Special Summoned; all other monsters have their attack reduced to 0." A dark haired girl appeared and raised her staff toward the heavens. Magic hummed as a dark aura surrounded the monsters.

"Grr," Sammy whined. "I end my turn. That means both monsters send a card to my grave." Both of the creatures saw a loss of 500 attack points.

(1800/0) and (2200/0)

"DRAW!"

…

"_Hey Sammy, want to come to a party tonight?" Robert asked_.

"_No thanks, I'm studying hard for that test tomorrow. They say that I2 recruiters will be getting to take a look at our tests soon. This might be my nig chance to impress the company and jump start my career."_

…

"I switch my Elf to defense mode and summon another Nightingale from my hand. Now, since my scarecrow's effect can be used once per turn I'll Special Summon another Nightingale and then switch him to defense mode." Naota gazed proudly at the three birds on his field. _'They may not seem much wall wise, but they've got a powerful effect together.'_

"I set one card and end my turn."

"I'm using Pot of Greed to draw two cards," Robert explained. "Next I discard one card for my Gambler's effect."

"Heads," they all agreed. Nobody wished to bother with the complexities of predicting luck.

Only Naota's coin landed tails. BOOM! Another explosion knocked him to the ground.

**Naota and Hikaru: 2000**

**Sammy and Robert: 6000**

"At this rate it won't be much longer until we're in the finals, Sammy." Robert grinned. "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back the card I got rid of. Say hello to my favorite card. The Unlucky Fairy. You see. Her effect activates whenever I have to pay Life Points. She lets me flip a coin. If its heads, then she gains one half of what I paid as an attack." The card looked like a blonde angel wearing a fancy party dress. (2600/1800) "Go, Injection Fairy Lily, attack Maho Shoujo- Hikaru! And I pay 2000 Life Points to raise her attack by 3000!"

(3400/1500) The winged fairy flew toward Maho Shoujo Hikaru, riding her needle like a witch's broom.

"Scrap Iron Scarecrow!" Naota commanded. His favorite trap rose from the ground and held of the fairy.

"Now I flip a coin." Robert watched as the coin soared through the sky and came up a heads. "Oh it looks like I'm having an ironically lucky day today. She gains 1000 attack points until the end of the turn." (3600/1800) "Attack her Maho Shoujo-Hikaru."

The angel grabbed a deck of playing cards and began throwing cards through the air like shuriken.

"Once per turn I can use my _other_ Scarecrow's _other _effect," Naota explained. "By releasing one Nightingale I can negate an attack." One of the Nightingales burst into light and knocked into the Angel's stomach, disorienting her long enough to halt the attack.

"Well, fine, I'll just have my Gambler fight the old fashioned way."

The tuxedoed mad grabbed a pair of dice and threw them at Hikaru's Hikaru, shattering the hologram in an instant.

**Naota and Hikaru: 500**

**Sammy and Robert: 6000**

"Your turn."

Hikaru drew a card. "Okay Naota, thanks for helping me make it through that onslaught. First I normal summon Magician's Valkyria in attack mode." (1600/1800) "And I activate Magician's Unite. I pick one of my Spellcasters, in this case Valkyria, and raise her attack to 3000. Now I activate Familiar Summoning. I Special Summon a beast from my deck with less attack than a Spellcaster I control. So I can bring out Mosaic Manticore! (2800/2500) She smiled. "Now I activate Familiar's Oath. "I can choose one Beast on my field and raise its attack by 1000 for each Spellcaster on the field. The downside being that Spellcasters can't attack this turn."

The Manticore's attack rose. (4800/2500) "Next I use my final card, Gift of the Martyr! I send Valkyria to the grave to raise Manticore's attack by her own." (7800/2500)

The girl grinned.

"Dammit I forfeit," Sammy fell to his knees as he tossed the star chips to Naota. "I can't take this anymore." He suddenly ran off, sobbing loudly.

"Sammy, wait up!" Robert growled. He turned to Naota and Hikaru quickly. "Take your stupid chips," he said as he tossed them the stars they had won. He quickly chased after his friend.

Naota watched in shock. "Are you okay?' he called out. There was no response.

…

"I-I'm tired of it all!" Sammy cried. "I thought I was supposed to be good at this, but I'm not."

"Don't worry, everyone has their troubled times. You just need to relax a little. I promise, just, just relax okay. It'll all get better soon. That's what the Organization promised us."

**Author's Note: Another below average chapter, I hope I can get back into the swing of things with the finals.**


	21. Mystic Garden of the Hanaculi

**Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, then Yusei would be bi and Kiryuu, Jack, Aki, and Crow would all be members of his harem. Aren't you glad I don't?**

…

An Obelisk student with long red hair smiled as she walked. A single candle flickered in the darkness, offering just enough light to show her where hr favorite book rested. Dust gathered on the blood red cover. The Obelisk student brushed it off and opened the first page.

"Reality. Its cruel mocking laughter spits in our faces. Together we shall overthrow this harsh mistress and bring about the world we desire."

"Is that really so, Aiko-chan?" Questioned a voice. The girl spun around to see another Obelisk Blue student watching her. "You think that even your dreams can be achieved?" His cold gray eyes narrowed into a glare. "You think you're all that just because you rank so high in the Organization. But I'll show you. You're nothing against me." His short brown hair fell in front of his eyes, hiding the wells of malevolence.

"Oh I see, Sano-kun, you're still jealous because they like me better. Very well, how about we have a duel? I'll remind you of why I rank so much higher than you do. And I'll remind you why you shouldn't be so cocky. The Organization exists to help those who can't reach their dreams on their own. If we need to shoot a bird out of the sky to teach it the dangers of flight, than so be it."

…

"Do, do you think he'll be okay?" Naota asked. Hus eyes gazed at the ground. Food wrappers littered the ground, left by hungry duelists too eager to clean up.

"I'm sure he'll be okay." Hikaru smiled. "You know two the stress can be some times. When you lose a duel you really needed to win, it's usually your friends who help you through it."

"Yeah," Naota agreed.

…

"_I summon Mystic Elf in defense._' _An eleven-year-old Naota smiled. "I'll show you that I'm a good duelist." He tried to keep up the show of bravery. 'I have to win. I have to show him. I won't let him get away with it. Not with what he said.'_

"_Stupid kids, you think that just because you have a few cards and a duel disk it makes you a duelist." The other boy was fifteen. He had a muscular body and spiky blonde hair. "I play Power Bond to fuse my UFOroid and my gate Guardian into UFOroid Fighter!" (Attack: 11400) "Next I activate Limiter Removal to double his attack to 22800. I activate my Offerings to the Doomed to destroy your Elf and attack you directly."_

…

Naota looked up at Hikaru. "Well, let's hurry up and get to the finals.

Hikaru grinned back at her friend. "Yeah we don't want to miss out just because someone beat us."

…

A young teen relaxed on a sofa in a fabulously decorated room. The smell of fresh fruits danced through the air. Beautiful translucent blue curtains dyed the sun light a pale blue. _'I really should try to move up to the Obelisk Dorm. I'm one of the best Duelists on the island, it shouldn't be too hard.'_

Takuya stared at the document in his hand. "Oh, now this is interesting. I had no idea that Yuu was _his_ son. I didn't even know that he had any kids. Turns out he had a son and a daughter."

"What are you looking at?" Cthulhu questioned.

"Oh nothing. It seems a certain Morganna is doing research on Emi's friends. She's found out some really juicy stuff."

"Just who is this man?" Cthulhu questioned.

"Just a card designer for I2. At least, before he and his wife died in a tragic fire. It seems he had two children. Both of them were sent to an orphanage but they were both quickly adopted."

"And one of them is a boy named Yuu?"

"Yes, an old friend of Naota and Hikaru. "

…

"_See, I told you that brats like you can't duel." The bully stood over Naota, laughing victoriously. "So now stop bragging about your boyfriend Yuu or whatever his name is. I bet he's not much better than you are."_

"_Sh-shut up! Take it back. Yuu's the best duelist ever." Naota threw his fists downward. "He'll show you when he gets here."_

…

The two duelists activated their duel disks. "My move first," Aiko drew a sixth card and laughed. "I play Growing Weeds in defense." (0/0) An ugly looking plant sprouted on her side of the field. "I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Sano drew. "You think something like that will be good enough to stop me? I summon the Bistro Butcher in attack mode." (1800/1000) He smiled as the fiendish blue chef appeared. "I set two cards and attack your Weed."

The chef chopped through the plan and laughed. "Who wants a salad?" Sano joked.

"Go, Good Gardening! Aiko smiled. "This card Special Summons a plant from my graveyard if it has less than 500 attack points."

"Tch," Sano clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Turn end."

Aiko drew her next card. "Now my Weeds effect kicks in. I get to Special Summon two more from my hand deck or graveyard." She smiled as two more Weeds popped up.

"Yeah, that's some great gardening right there. Can't even keep your damn weeds in check. Now please tell me there's some sort of drawback to something with such annoying tendencies."

"Nope, sorry, you'll just need to do some heavy gardening if you want to get rid of these guys." Aiko laughed. "But for now, I activate Card of Safe Return!"

"So now you'll gain a card whenever you revive a monster. Interesting. I like this." Sano smiled.

"Oh really? We'll see how you feel about that when I'm kicking your ass with a massive card advantage." Aiko grabbed another card from her hand. "I release two Weeds to normal summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias." (2800/2600) A beautiful card rose from the ground. She had beautiful hair made of green leaves and her clothes looked like gorgeous red camellias blossoming open.

Both duelists could easily smell the fragrant flowers.

"I think I'll have her attack your monster." Aiko watched her monsters vines lash out at the demon cook. They crashed into an invisible force field.

"Negate Attack, always a classic." Sano chuckled. "So, anything else for you?"

"Your move."

"I draw," the boy called out. "And I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two. "Next I release my monster to Special Summon Hell's Chef!" (2600/2400) "Once per turn I can remove from play one monster in my grave to increase his attack by half until the turn ends. So I remove my Bistro Butcher!" The red-skinned demon looked almost exactly like the fallen comrade now boiling in a pot of hot water. The Hell's Chef raised the pot over his head and quickly drank it down, not even bothering with herbs, spices, or even vegetables. (3500/2400) "Now he attacks your monster!"

The Hell's Chef sliced through the Princess and smiled.

**Aiko: 3300**

"Now his effect activates and you get to draw three cards." Sano said with a smile.

"Oh? You're letting me draw extra cards? Fool. You realize how much this helps me, don't you?" Aiko tore the new cards out from her disk and smiled. "And you gave me just what I needed."

"Well I activate Appropriate. I can only activate it when you draw out side of your draw phase." Sano's face down card reveled itself. "Now if you ever do it again, I get two new cards of my own. Next, I activate a spell from my hand. Joint Growth. You'll see what it does in just a minute, but for now I end my turn."

Aiko's hand went up to eight. Sano's went to three. "You see," he explained. "Thanks to Joint Growth, both players get to draw during either player's draw phase. In other words, I get to draw during yours and you get to draw during mine."

Two Growing Weeds sprang forth from the ground. "My monsters effect activates bringing his pals back. I guess I'll use my Card of Safe Return to draw, even if you do as well." Aiko drew a ninth card while Sano drew a forth and fifth." Next, I use Terraforming. This card lets me add a Field Spell from my deck to my hand. So I activate Mystic Garden of the Hanaculi." Grass sprouted from the ground as tiny flowers blossomed everywhere. "Once per turn I can remove from play a Hanaculus in my deck and Special Summon it during the next turn."

"Hanaculus? Oh I see." Sano grinned. "This should be interesting."

"Yes. I can't normal summon any of them because of their effects, so my garden is usually a necessity for me to win. Thank you so much for helping me find it." Aiko taunted. "So I'll just take this and put it somewhere safe." A card shot out of her deck. "Next I'll release all three of my Growing Weeds to Special Summon my Venus Death Trap." (3200/500) Vines slithered around the arena as a giant Venus Fly Trap's head grew from the ground. "He eats your Chef!" The plant jumped forward and hungrily devoured Sano's card. He munched loudly, but not loud enough top obscure the sound of snapping bones. "You see, whenever he eats one of your monsters, I gain Life Points equal to its Star Level times a hundred. I believe your monster was a Level Six, right?"

**Aiko: 3900**

**Sano: 1400**

"I set a card and end my turn."

…

"_I attack you directly and win," the boy said to Yuu._

_The younger duelist simply smiled. "Magic Cylinder reflects all 20,000 of your attack points back at you." He watched with a smile. "That's what you get for picking on my friend."_

"_Oh yeah, well I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit to negate your trap."_

"_Go, Trap Jammer," Yuu cried in desperation." _

"_Hah I have one of those too." The other boy smiled._

_The attack came through and knocked Yuu off his feet._

_**Yuu: 0**_

"_Dammit, I have to admit you were pretty cool for a kid. Sorry for making fun of you and your friend. Keep it up and you'll probably be a Pro one day."_

"_Thanks," said Yuu. He had completely forgotten the anger from moments ago._

_Naota, on the other hand, was pissed. "You only won because you got lucky. Don't think that you're better than he is."_

_Tears streamed down Naota's face._

"_Naota, there's no need to be upset. The game wouldn't be fun if I never lost."_

…

"Oh cool, we made it just in time," Naota cheered. "Looks like all eight finalists are here."

Hikaru scanned the area. The staff had remodeled the place over night. Lush red carpets lead the way to the min arena. Tables lined the wall and offered fruit for hungry duelists.

"We'll just announce that the tournament is over and open the doors to the spectators," said a staff member.

"Hey you two made it!" Nayuta cheered. She ran up to Hikaru and three her arms around the other girl. "I was starting to get worried."

"Oh good you're here too." Hikaru said with a smile. "So who else made it?"

"Well, Ryou got in as well, and these two students named Isamu and Haley got in as well."

"Oh cool, Haley made it," Naota said with a grin. "He's really nice. I dueled him but I lost."

Hikaru grinned. "What a coincidence. I actually dueled Isamu."

Nayuta interrupted. "You're going to love this part, Ashton made it as well."

"Really? I knew he would, where is he?"

"Right here," said a familiar voice. Ashton stepped up from the shadows.

"Long time no see," Hikaru cried with joy as she thrust her arms around her cousin.

"I missed you." He said happily." He quickly turned to Naota. "I missed you too, buddy. Oh but before I forget." He reached into his pocket and retrieve two envelopes. "I brought more cards. These are actually from mom. She said to give them to you."

"Thanks," they said in unison.

Nayuta could only stare in disbelief. "You guys know Ashton?"

"Yeah," Hikaru answered. "He's my cousin."

…

Both players drew. "Since you drew outside of your draw phase, Appropriate gives me two more cards." Sano watched his hand shoot up in size. "I knew using this against you would come in handy. I use Fragrance Storm to destroy your Venus Fly Trap and draw a card. Next I summon Muka Muka." (600/600)

Venus Death Trap wilted away. A large insect appeared on the field. "Now, as you probably know, this classic monster gains 300 attack and defense per card in my hand. So seven cards makes what now?" (2700/2700) "Attack her directly!" The bug charged forward and knocked Aiko over.

"I set one card and end my turn."

Both players drew a card. Aiko simply smiled as a flower appeared on her field. It opened up to reveal a tiny fairy like being. "Say hello to my Hanaculus- Desu Poppy!" (300/0) She had red leaves for wings, beautiful blonde hair, and wore a red dress that looked like an upside down poppy. Next, I'll use a Spell card known as Green Alchemy- Petal transmutation. By removing from play a plant in my grave, I can Special Summon a Hanaculus from my hand. So I'll bring out Hanaculus- Lycoris of Lament." (400/0) She had red hair and wore a red lycoris for a dress. "Now that I have Special Summoned a Hanaculus, my Desu Poppy's effect activates. She destroys one card on the field, so your face down vanishes."

Sano's card shattered. "Next I use Green Alchemy-Natural Midas. I can Special Summon one Hanaculus until the turn ends, so say hello to Hanaculus- Slayer Bougainvillea!" (600/0) She had straight black hair that shone beautifully and wore a white robe decorated with purple flowers. "Since a Hanaculus was Special Summoned, Desu Poppy destroys a card, so your Muka Muka goes away. Next, Lycoris of Lament deals you 300 points of damage."

A storm of red petals cut into Sano's body.

**Sano: 1100**

"Next, my Hanaculi all have their attack multiplied by the number of Hanaculi on the field."

"What?" he gasped.

**Desu Poppy (900/0)**

**Lycoris of Lament (1200/0)**

**Slayer Bougainvillea (1800/0) **

"Slay him my Hanaculi." Aiko watched her monsters grow to the size of human teenagers. They charged forward and punched Sano in the gut. He sank to the floor in pain.

**Sano: 0**

"Grrr, you may have beaten me, but you're still only second place when it comes to plant decks. You know you will never beat Ryou."

"Oh yeah? Watch me."

…

"So any clue when the duels begin?" Nayuta asked. "I can't wait."

"We just need to give the audience some time to show up," Ryou said nervously.

"I'm surprised there aren't more Pros though," Ashton commented. "Don't these things usually end with a 50/50 split of students and professionals?"

"There's a reason you're the only pro here," a voice answered. "I took them all out." Morganna smiled as every turned toward her. "Ask the other students around campus, they heard the story. I only let you make it through because you're the grand finale. I'll take you out while the entire school watches." She pointed her finger at Ashton. "So be ready."

…

**Author's Note: So Tsuki, I've been meaning to ask, do you still like the idea of AshtonxHikaru?**

**Anyway the next few chapters will probably be a bit shorter than the others.  
**


	22. Tournament's Trials

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it. Don't own Hamtaro either. (No, nobody uses a Hamtaro card/deck……actually, that would be AWESOME!)**

**Warning: I have a Death Note. Insult Hamtaro and I write your name.**

**Oh and sorry for borrowing the inner thought thing, Ghost.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.**

…

Ashton smiled back at the girl. He reached for one of the apples resting on a silver plate. His fingers danced over the apple's smooth red skin as his teeth sank into the fruit with a satisfying crunch. "Sounds like a fun challenge to me. Let's see if fate let's us duel."

"If fate knows what's good for it." The girl responded.

Nayuta grinned. "Okay everyone let's get ready, this game's about to heat up."

Ryou gazed emptily at the new opponent. "Ummmm, it's nice to meet you."

Morganna smiled. "Ah yes, Ryou. Everybody's favorite duelist. I look forward to dueling you as well. I want the entire school to watch as I crush your pathetic deck with my Ravens."

Morganna walked away dramatically, smiling at the knowledge that everyone watched her slip away.

Hikaru growled. "Who does that bitch think she is?' She quickly examined the new cards Ashton had delivered to her. "Oh my, where did your mom get these?"

Ashton shrugged. "She said she went shopping for some Boosters and though the cards would be better off with you two."

"Attention finalists, please report to the main arena of the Dome. Matchups for the first duel will be announced shortly." A voice announced over the PA. Naota quickly scampered off while Hikaru and Nayuta followed. Ryou took his time, trying desperately to shake off Morganna's words.

"Don't let her get to you, she's only trying to psyche you out," Ashton warned. "Keep calm and I'm sure you'll be able to beat her."

…

Takuya sat at his own desk, faced his computer, and typed away. The keys clicked at rapid speeds. He sounded like a hacker trying to crack a secret code. "I need to figure out who this man's daughter is."

"Why is he so important? Did he make a really famous card or something?" Cthulhu asked.

"You're awfully inquisitive for some one based on the finest of all Lovecraftian horror," Takuya teased. "Well you see, he's made a very powerful archetype or two in the past but nothing too special. Some of his more famous works include the Raven Blasters that Morganna herself likes to use."

"What a coincidence. Although not as big as if he created the cards that his kids ended up using."

"Oh no, Yuu's Zodiac Mages were actually made by someone else entirely," Takuya answered. "But none of that is really important. If I figure out whom Yeo's sister is I might be able to initiate some sort of evil ploy or something."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Maybe kidnap her and force Yuu to work for me. Or use her to force Naota and Hikaru to work for me. Or even convince her to work for me. You know, cause a little drama and holy Hamtaro on a Ham-Ham sandwich."

"Wha?"

"This is, this is unbelievable. I mean, what are the chances?" Takuya gasped.

"Chances of what?" The Duel Spirit questioned.

"The man's daughter is Nayuta. She's Yuu's sister!" Takuya gasped in disbelief. "What are the chances Naota would befriend his best friend's sister without realizing it?"

"Well," Cthulhu began. "Taking into account the fact that he probably left his children some sort of memento related to dueling, I'd say it's probably pretty high. Both kids were likely to grow up to be duelists.

Yuu met and befriended Naota because of their similar age. Yuu probably inspired Naota to become a duelist as well, if he wasn't already interested. Now chances are they'd all want to go to a Duel Academy if they sought to further their education. Now assuming Yuu and Nayuta were sent to the same orphanage, the chances of them growing up close to each other aren't too bad. Since we know that Yuu met Naota, we can assume that all three are somewhat close geography wise. So even if they didn't come to Duel Academy they were likely to meet.

But the thing is, they did. They chose one of the best schools around for learning how to duel. So it's not that strange that Nayuta and Naota are both here. As for them meeting up, isn't it obvious? She looks a bit like her brother once you think about it."

Takuya grinned.

…

"So, what kind of deck do you think Morganna uses?" Naota asked.

"It doesn't matter," Hikaru responded. "Ashton is sure to crush her."

The crowds roared with excitement as Mr. Ayanami stepped up to the stage with a microphone in hand. "Now as all good tournaments do, we shall select our match ups via random chance with no regard to seeding!" He gestured toward a lathe monitor resting on the wall. It stirred to life and names began flashing in white.

'_Whoever I duel it doesn't matter. I'll crush them all eventually. I just hope I get to take out Ashton and Ryou personally.'_

'_I wonder if I'll get the chance to duel Ashton. No, I don't want to. Not yet. Not until we're both Pros and we can face each other as equals.'_

'_So I'm the only Pro who made it huh? I better put on a good show.'_

'_I wonder if Naota and Hikaru will end up facing each other. If they do, I hope they're okay. Of course, if Naota and Ashton go against each other, that might be worse.'_

'_Morganna is scary, I don't want to duel her.'_

'_Hmmm, looks like Hikaru made it. I wonder if I'll get to have a rematch with her.'_

'_Oh my dear Morganna, I wonder if I'll be able to face you in a duel.'_

"Naota Yamaguchi and Ashton Eichel!" Mr. Ayanami called out with a smile.

Hikaru's breath stopped in her lungs.

Ashton shuffled his deck as he walked toward the stage. "Looks like I get to be in the opening act. Sounds fun. So, Naota, show me what you've got!"

Naota looked only at Hikaru. He gave her a quick smile. "Hey, blood is thicker than water right? Don't worry about me."

'_N-naota.' _Hikaru forced herself to smile. "Do your best you two!"

Naota shuffled his deck and placed it in his Duel Disk. "I really wish I had something funny to say right now. But I guess I'll have to settle for a classic."

"It's time to duel!" They both said.

…

"_So your cousin is a Duelist too?" Naota asked Hikaru one day. They were only twelve at the time. "Is he really good?"_

"_Yeah, Ashton's awesome." Hikaru answered. "He's going to try to become a Pro soon."_

"_Cool, I can't wait to meet him." _

_Naota smiled at Hikaru._

…

"I'll go first," Naota cried out. "I set two cards face down and summon Aqua Madoor in defense mode." (1200/2000) The sea witch gazed blankly at Ashton, waiting for him to make a move. "I end my turn."

"My turn," Ashton called out. "I draw." He looked over the six cards in his hand. _'Which one should I play first?' _He set two cards. "I'll play these two facedown," he said as the cards appeared before him. "Then I'll set one monster facedown and end my turn."

Naota drew. "I'll release my monster for Millennium Shield in defense mode." (0/3000) "Next I activate my face down Monster Reborn to bring back my Aqua Madoor." (1200/2000) "But my Shield won't be staying around for long. I activate Mystic Wok. I release my shield to raise my Life Points by 3000."

The shield vanished into a frying pan. It began glowing red as the flames cooked it.

"I activate my face down Bad Reaction to Simochi," Ashton said with a smile. "You should have been more careful."

Hikaru grimaced. _'Naota knows this is Ashton's strategy. Surely he has a plan.'_

"Barrel Behind the Door." Naota called out. "Your Simochi card negated my healing and makes me take 3000 Points of damage, but my trap reflects it to you."

"Great move, I was worried this would end too quickly. I activate Gift Card. Normally this would give you 3000 life Points, but thanks to Simochi you take damage instead."

Two large explosions knocked both Duelists off their feet.

**Naota: 1000**

**Ashton: 1000**

"No way," Nayuta exclaimed. "They're both down to 1000 Life Points already?"

Naota forced himself back up. "Looks like I'll need to be really careful or this is over in an instant. I'll set one more card and end my turn."

Ashton drew. "I flip my Morphing Jar. "Next I release him to summon my own Millennium Shield in defense mode." (0/3000)

Though neither player wished to attack, the audience members watched closely, trying not to drown in the intensity of both duelists' wills.

'_Ashton-sama, I know I can't win, but I will show you how much I've grown.'_

"I use Goblin Thief to steal 500 Life Points."

A goblin appeared behind Naota and bonked him on the head.

"Oww," he moaned.

**Ashton: 1500**

**Naota: 500**

"Be careful Naota," Nayuta warned.

The audience began chattering away.

"He's down to 500 Life Points against a burn deck. Do you think he stands a chance? No, how could he? One turn and it's all over."

"I end my turn."

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Simochi." Naota called out quickly. "Next I use my own goblin Thief to steal back those points you stole."

The Goblin betrayed Ashton and bonked him over the head.

**Ashton: 1000**

**Naota: 1000**

"Now I summon Nightmare Horse!" (500/400) The bandaged hose spirit appeared on Naota's side of the field. "Attack him directly." It galloped toward Ashton and struck his head with a hoof.

**Ashton: 500**

"I'll set one more card and end my turn."

Ashton grabbed his next card. "I set two cards face down and summon Fire Princess." (1300/1500)

Naota grimaced. _'That thing's effect could destroy me.'_

"Attack his monster with Big Bang Blast!" Fir Princess pitched a fireball at the horse. A metal scarecrow rose from the ground to intercept the attack. "Ahh yes, Scrap Iron Scarecrow, I should have seen it coming. Your move, Naota."

The young boy began panting. _'I-I can win this with a single direct attack. But what is his facedown card. What if it's something that makes me lose? I-I'm scared.'_

…

"_To win a duel you'll need to take risks Naota," Ashton lectured. "Especially when going against a deck like mine. I'll be whittling your Life points away quickly. If you don't take your chances you'll never keep up."_

"_Yes sir" Naota said with a fake smile. 'Take more chances huh? I-I wish I were brave like all my friends.'_

…

"You can do it Naota!" Hikaru cheered.

The young boy looked at his friend in surprise. _'Is she really cheering for me?'_

"Show him what you're made of."

"Go, Nightmare Horse. Phantom Gallop. End this duel!" Naota smiled as his Nightmare Horse rode forward.

"Call of the Earthbound," Ashton snapped his fingers. "Redirect his attack toward my shield please." Naota gasped as the horse crashed into the Millennium Shield. A wave of energy surged toward him.

"I discard Kuriboh to negate the battle damage," he announced. The wave crashed into a small furry creature and quickly died down.

"Well I activate my Solemn Wishes," Ashton smiled. Naota winced in anticipatory pain.

"Your move, Ashton-sama."

The Professional Duelist drew a card. "I never thought you'd have grown this much in the few months that you've been here." Ashton grinned. "I'm impressed. You're starting to become more of a man. The old you would have never risked that direct attack. "Now what do you say we enter the final stages? First, my Solemn Wishes gives me Life Points and causes my Princess to damage you."

Flames washed over Naota.

**Naota: 500**

**Ashton: 1000**

"Now let's risk this all on a gamble. We might both survive or we might both lose. Paths of Destiny makes us both flip a coin. If its heads, we gain 2000 life Points. If it's tails, we take 2000 damage."

"I hate coin flips."

…

Aiko watched the duel play out on television. "These fools are so noisy. Why can't fans ever learn to shut up and watch?" She bit into a vegetarian burrito and quickly chewed it up. _'I don't care about these idiots. I just want to see Ryou's duel.'_

…

Two coins flipped through the air. The audience let out a collective gasp as they fell back to the Earth.

Nayuta and Ryou both crossed their fingers.

'_Naota, you can do this.'_

Hikaru felt pain shoot through her stomach as she watched.

Both coins came up heads.

Fire Princess launched her flames at Naota, burning away a few Life Points.

**Naota: 2000**

**Ashton: 3000**

"Your move."

Naota drew his next card. "I play Polymerization to fuse my Nightmare with my Spirit Reaper to form Reaper on the Nightmare." (800/600)

A purple-cloaked monster appeared on the horse. "Attack him directly." The creature flew forward and swung his weapon at Ashton. The older male's Life Points whittled down with w whirring sound.

**Ashton: 2200**

"I activate my face down card, Wrath of the Beaten." He grinned. "When I take direct damage I may use this card to deal us both 1000 points of effect damage."

"Aghhh!" Naota cried in pain as a barrage of stones smashed into his body.

**Ashton: 1200**

**Naota: 1000**

"Your move Naota conceded.

"So I draw and activate the effects of Fire Princess and Solemn Wishes."

Naota listened to the sound of a cackling fire along with the electronic whirring of a change in Life Points.

**Naota: 500**

**Ashton: 1700**

"It's been fun but this can't go on forever." Ashton activated a Spell Card. "Say hello to Cold Wave." Naota watched his two face down cards freeze over. "This stops us from activating Spells and Traps until my next turn." He pointed his finger at the Reaper on the Nightmare. "Fire Princess, Royal Inferno!"

A tower of flames erupted from the ground. "Your monster may survive nut your Life Points won't."

**Naota: 0**

The boy fell to his knees. "Man that was fun but so, exhaust," He never finished his sentence. He collapsed on the ground.

"Naota!" Hikaru ran toward her best friend.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Aww man it's 2 in the morning. I was hoping to finish two chapters before bed time.**


	23. Tournament's Trials II GardenofMagic Mix

**Author's Note: Hmm rereading some old chapters, it seems that Yuu knew Hikaru and Naota for a while before ever convincing Naota to duel. Hmmmm.**

**Disclaimer: **

**Now I shall disclaim**

**Yu-Gi-Oh GX, because**

**I do not own it**

**. . .**

"Naota are you okay?" Nayuta stood over Naota's motionless body.

"Dammit this is bad," Hikaru growled. "I'll take him to the infirmary."

"Let me do it," Ashton volunteered. Your duel could come up at anytime."

"No, no," said one of the teachers. "Moving him could be dangerous. We could end up hurting him ore. Ayanami, call the nurses and ask them to send someone over."

"We're already here," a nurse said as she burst through the doors. She and a friend carried a stretcher between the two of them. "We saw the duel on T.V. and rushed over right away."

The two nurses lifted the boy onto a stretcher and carried him away.

Hikaru fought back the tears. _'Shit, this is bad. Naota's fainting a lot more than before, I hope he's okay.'_

**. . .**

Ender watched the nurses carry Naota away. "Hah, looks like our little curse is proving too much for him to handle. It looks like our plan is working smoothly." He stood in the middle of a frozen lake. Ice stretched out toward snowy banks. Blinding snow blanketed the air.

"Yes," said another figure. He had long black hair and wore a beautiful looking white robe. "Everything is going smoothly."

"So," began Ender," the wind howled over his voice so he waited for it to die down. The harsh cold stung his body but he didn't care. "Which of his friends do you think you want to duel the most, Kaito?"

"Isn't that obvious? I want to go against the strongest. So that means that my target is Yuu."

**. . .**

Hikaru pushed the worry out of her mind and focused on the arena around her.

"Well now, that was certainly an exciting match," said the teacher. "Let's see who our next duelists would be."

'_How can you sound so carefree?' _Hikaru wondered. _'A student just fainted before your eyes.'_

"Ryou and Hikaru!" Mr. Ayanami took over the announcing.

Ryou looked up. "Me?" He inched toward the center of the arena and shuffled his deck slowly. _'But Hikaru is my friend. I don't ant to have to duel her.'_

Hikaru grunted in displeasure. _'Crap, can't I have a moment to recover?' _

**. . .**

"Dammit, this is bad," Yuu said. "So bad, way too bad." He began to panic.

He watched the television screen hanging on the restaurant wall.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that Naota kid will be alright," said the waitress. "Duel Academia is one of the best schools around, the have a top notch medical staff." She had long black hair and dressed in a French Maid uniform.

"I-I know that but," Yuu wiped a tear away from his eye. _'Dammit, I'm crying. I'm not supposed to cry. I just miss him so much.'_

"Is something wrong?" The waitress asked.

"It's nothing," Yuu lied. "It's just that, that kid is my friend and I'm worried about him."

"Well, there's no need to cry," she said, "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Thanks, Anya," Yuu said with a forced smile. "I-I think I need to go now. How much do I owe?"

Yuu quickly paid for his food and dashed out of the restaurant.

**. . .**

"Do you think that kid's alright?"

"He fainted, so I doubt it."

"Wasn't that Naota Yamaguchi, one of Osiris Red's top students?"

"Yeah, but the top of the bottom is still below the bottom of the top, he isn't very important."

Hikaru listened to all the talking. _'Dammit Naota, you better be okay. You will __**not**__ put me through any more stress. I, I can't handle the world falling apart on me!"_

**. . .**

"Hmm, looks like the good stuff is finally starting." Aiko watched the Plasma screen television from her couch. "I can't wait to see how this plays out." She took sip of some sweet smelling strawberry lemonade. She stirred the drink with her straw and listened to the gentle sound of the ice clinking against the glass. Feeling relaxed, she gulped the drink down.

**~xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx~**

_It had only been a year ago, but the memory felt like it had been engraved in her soul since birth._

"_Next I use Monster Reborn to Special Summon Hanaculus-Crystal Chrysanthemum." (500/0) A Beautiful new card sprouted on her side of the field. Aiko watched the teacher's disapproving gaze. "Now, as you know, this means that my Hanaculi activate their effects. Blossom lets me draw a card, Desu poppy destroys your face down card, Lycoris deals you 300 more points of damage, and Rose gives me Life Points equal to my new card's attack."_

_**Aiko: 4500**_

_**Proctor: 2500**_

"_Not bad, you've managed to Special Summon five monsters in one turn. But they aren't very impressive and you're out of cards to protect them. One good draw is all I need to destroy them all." The teacher smiled as he spoke. His voice held only genuine advice and no animosity._

"_Too bad for you I still have to reveal the best part of it all. You see, my Hanaculi all share the same basic effect of powering each other up. One flower is pretty, but a garden is breathtaking. They abide by this principle and help strengthen each other. Each of my Hanaculi has their stats multiplied by the number of Hanaculi I control!"_

_**Drain Rose- 500**_

_**Lycoris of Lament- 2000 **_

_**Desu Poppy- 1500**_

_**Fear Blossom- 1000**_

_**Crystal Chrysanthemum- 2500**_

"_Go, my Garden of Hanaculi, attack him directly!" Aiko danced in a shower of petals as her monsters sunk their roots into the teacher._

_The teacher applauded. "Wow, that was impressive. I never imagined a student would have such a fearsome strategy."_

"_Why, thanks you," Aiko responded with a polite bow. "I intend to show the world that I am the greatest Plant User in existence! I'll show them all the power of the Hanaculi."_

**~xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx~**

Ryou faced Hikaru and tried to fake a smile. He couldn't even manage that. "I forfeit," he quickly announced." Ryou began walking back toward the others. The audience mumbled and gasped in shock.

"Is he really giving up just like that?"

"But he's supposed to be one of the top students in the school isn't he? Sure Hikaru's good but he'll probably have no problem."

"But Hikaru is his friend, he probably either doesn't want to duel her or doesn't want her to lose."

"Aww, this match was starting to look exciting."

**. . .**

Aiko growled and tossed her bag of popcorn. "Dammit, Ryou, you freaking idiot. I swear to, to, Obelisk I will kill you for this. You can't just beat me in a duel and then act like a coward in front of the entire world. I can't have people thinking my Plant Deck lot to a coward like you!"

"_Hey did you see that Ryou kid?"_

_Aiko danced on a natural high after her victory with the Proctor. The overture to Wagner's _Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg _played in her head. Her daydreams of glory screeched to a temporary halt so she could listen to the juicy gossip. _

"_I never new a Plant deck could be so strong."_

"_Yeah, an OTK against a teacher!"_

'Someone else, with a Plant Deck? This could be fun.'

**. . .**

"Are you sure that you're okay, Yuu?" Pikachu quickly scampered on all fours in an attempt to keep up with the boy.

"No, I, I miss him," Yuu admitted. "More than I knew I would. It feels like it hurts just to think about him and know that I can't be at his side. And I miss Hikaru too. I want to see them and tell them I'm okay."

"I wish there was something I could do," Pikachu leapt up to his partner's shoulder and climbed onto his head.

"Don't worry about me. I'm sure the shock will wear off soon," Yuu told his partner. "It just came as a surprise to see him faint. I just need to hurry up and figure out a way to stop the dark side of the Octogram soon."

Pikachu frowned. "Yes, I had no idea that his condition would worsen so quickly. When the light side agreed to help fend off Naota's curse, our spell should have held off their curse."

Yuu grinned. "Enough exposition, let's get things rolling." He spun around with a giggle.

**. . .**

"Wait, Ryou, don't just forfeit," Hikaru begged.

"But, you're my friend, I don't want to duel you." He tried to avert his gaze.

"Don't want to, because I'm, friend?" Hikaru's jumbled words fell out of her mouth. "Don't be silly Ryou. Dueling is supposed to be fun. Friends should be able top have fun dueling each other. Win or lose, it doesn't matter. All that matters is we have fun."

"A-are you sure?" Ryou asked.

"Of course."

Ryou took a moment to consider things.

"DRAW!"

Both players grabbed five cards from their decks. "May I have the first move?" Ryou asked.

"Sure," Hikaru grinned. "I'd rather have the second turn anyway."

The second-year Obelisk Blue opened his Field Spell Zone. "I activate Black Garden!" The thick forest quickly enveloped the field, hiding the duelists away from the crowd.

"Oh? Not summoning a monster before using your Field Spell?" Hikaru asked.

"You'll see why," Ryou smiled. "I summon Revenge Weed in attack mode." (800/800) Vines quickly wrapped around the monster and cut his attack in half. (400/400) "As you know, my Garden has two effects. All monsters lose half their attack and every time we play a monster, our opponent gets a Rose Token." (800/800)

A small rose appeared on Hikaru's side of the field. "Next I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two." Ryou watched his hand increase and decrease. "Next I destroy Black Garden and all Plants Special Summon a Plant from my grave. The catch is that it has to be a monster whose attack is equal to the total attack of all Plants destroyed by Black Garden's effect."

Revenge Weed and Rose Token burst apart as a new creature appeared on the field. It looked like a beautiful young maiden with blonde hair and red dress. She carried a bouquet of flowers in her hand. "Sakura- Maiden of the Flowers." (1200/0) "I release her to Special Summon a new monster from my hand, as long as it is a Level 4 or lower Pant. So I pick Phoenixian Seed. (800/0) But I release my Seed for my Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!" (2200/800) "And I play Card of Safe Return!"

"Wow, so you managed to get three Plants in the grave for your monster's effect. Nice move Ryou."

"First, I end my turn. Now my Revenge Weeds effect kicks in. During the end phase of a turn in which he was destroyed, he is Special Summoned in Defense Mode." (800/800) "Sure it's one less card for my Phoenixian Cluster to use, but I get to draw a card thanks to Card of Safe Return!"

Hikaru drew her next card. _'Too bad he doesn't have his Garden out. I could fill his field with Rose Tokens and destroy them all afterward,' _Hikaru smiled. "I normal summon Witchling in Training."(600/600) "Whenever a spell is activated she gains a Spell Counter. Each Spell Counter gives her 300 extra attack points. So now I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards." The young girl had straight blonde hair and wore a purple robe and a purple witch's hat. (900/600) "Next I equip her with the Spell Card, Spellcaster's Pact. In order to activate it I need to discard a Spellcaster from my hand, but it increases her attack by 700." (1900/0) "Next I use Monster Reborn to bring back the card I got rid of, Maho Shoujo- Chiyo." (1000/1000) "She lets me grab a Spell from my deck. So I play Dimension Magic and I offer my Chiyo to Special Summon my Genesis of Light-Shiki! And I destroy your Custer Amaryllis."

"When she's destroyed you take 800 damage." Ryou reminded.

Shiki looked majestic. She wore an elegant white robe. Long blonde hair flowed in the wind and gentle eyes gazed out at Ryou. (2400/0) "She gains 300 attack for each Spellcaster I control. Once per turn I can discard a card from my hand to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand. So I discard one card to Special Summon Maho Shoujo Emi!" (1200/1100) "Her effect lets me draw a card from my deck."

**Emi 1200/1100**

**Shiki 3000/0**

**Witchling 2500/600**

"Emi, attack the weed," Hikaru ordered. A burst of magical light blasted the weed to pieces. "Witchling, attack the Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis." The beautiful flower card found herself bathed in flames of light.

**Ryou: 3700**

"Shiki, attack: Beginning of Dawn!"

A ray of light fell on Ryou from above, severely reducing his Life Points.

**Ryou: 700**

"I end my turn."

Ryou smiled. "So my Weed returns to me and gives me a new card." Ryou drew two new cards, once for his Card of Safe Return and one for his draw phase. He held four cards in his hand. "I play three cards facedown and activate a second Black Garden."

Hikaru watched in awe as the frightening garden once more consumed the arena.

'_I wonder what those cards are.'_

"I end my turn and remove from play a Plant in my grave to Special Summon my Cluster Amaryllis. Of course my Card of Safe Return gives me a new card."

A Rose Token appeared on Hikaru's field at the same time that the Cluster sprouted forth from the ashes. **(Token 800/800) (Cluster 1100/0) (Witchling 2800/600)**

"My turn," Hikaru drew.

Ryou held out his hand.

"I activate the Trap card, the Journey Begins Anew!" He watched as all of Hikaru's monsters turned to light and returned to her hand. "This card returns every card you control to its owner's hand. Then, any card that returned to your hand is Special Summoned immediately, while completely ignoring Summoning Conditions and Restrictions. "

Hikaru watched her monsters return to the field. The vines of the garden quickly wrapped around them and did their work.

**Emi 600/1100**

**Shiki 2100/0**

**Witchling 300/600**

"Luckily for me I get to draw a new card thanks to Emi." Hikaru smiled.

"And I get three Rose Tokens." (800/800) "Next I activate my trap card, Rose Token Bouquet. By releasing all Rose Tokens I control, I can Special Summon one to your side of the field. This is treated as occurring because of Black Garden's effect."

The three tokens burst into a dazzling display of petals and reformed on Hikaru's side of the field. (800/800) "Next I activate Rose Flame! Now you take 500 damage each time a Plant appears on your field."

**Hikaru: 2700**

The female duelist felt sharp petals dig into her skin. "Wow, I hate that thing."

"Next I activate Pollen Bomb." Ryou narrated. "By destroying one Plant on my side of the field I can cause several things to happen. First, you take damage equal to one-half of its attack. Next, all your monsters lose attack points equal to half of its attack, until the end of the turn at least."

Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis burst into a shower of pollen and blanketed Hikaru's side of the field.

**Hikaru: 1350**

Hikaru heard her Life Point's tumble through the joint effort of Pollen Bomb and Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis. Before she could even examine the info displayed on the Duel Disk, she did some mental math to determine the monster's new attack values.

'_1250. 50, 250 and 0. If I let my Shiki attack his Weed, then I can deal 300 points of damage by attacking directly. Of course I could always normal summon a new monster to gain an extra attack, but I'd have to deal with his new Rose Token. I have two spells in my hand so I'm better off using them to power up my Witchling, then using Shiki's effect to Special Summon a new monster. Of course I could release two monsters to normal summon it, but,' _she looked at the card she held in her hand. _'Maho Shoujo- Rukia. Level Seven. Attack 2000. If I summon you, you'll have 1000 attack, you can attack the token for 200 attack points, but we'll probably lose either 300 attack to summon you or even more. Grr this is so frustrating.'_

"Everything okay, Hikaru?" Ryou asked. "I'm not annoying you am I?"

"Oh no, it's just that, I don't think I can win this." Hikaru sighed. "It all comes down to whether or not that last card in your hand is what I think it is."

Ryou said nothing. "I activate the Spell Card, Scepter of Light. I can equip this to one Maho Shoujo I control. If she's targeted by a Spell or Trap I can send Scepter of Light to the grave to negate the card and draw a new card from my deck." A golden scepter appeared in Emi's hands. "Of course, activating a Spell gives my Witchling a counter and raises her attack to 300. Next I activate Maho Shoujo Super Mode! I select one Maho Shoujo I control. So I pick Emi, of course. If she destroys a monster this turn, then you take damage equal to that monster's star level times 100. And I gain that many Life Points. In addition, the selected card will also gain that many attack points for the next two turns." Hikaru grinned as her Witchling's attack rose to 600. "Go, Shiki, attack his Weed."

Shiki charged forward and shot a wave of light at the Weed.

"I discard Hedge Guard." Ryou narrated. "This card stops my Weed from being destroyed, though it does cut his attack in half."

Revenge Weed drowned in the light but remained strong.

"I end my turn," Hikaru conceded.

Ryou drew. _"I can't hold off much longer. I only made it through because of Pollen Bomb.'_

He frowned. "I-I'm going to risk it all on one last card. I play Fragrance Strom to destroy my Weed. Then I draw a card." Ryou's last monster burst apart and released a pleasing fragrance into the air." His hand trembled as it removed a card from the top of his deck. "I drew a Plant. So by revealing it to you I can draw a second card." Ryou held out his second Hedge Guard and grabbed a new card. I summon Hedge Guard in defense." (0/2100)

A Rose Token (800/800) appeared on Hikaru's side of the field. Rose Flame showered her with petals.

**Hikaru: 850**

Ryou smiled. "Next I activate the Spell Card Wither. This destroys all Plants on the field."

"What?" The audience gasped. "Why would he do that? He's wide open."

"You idiots, isn't it obvious?"

Hedge Guard and the two Rose Tokens withered away. "Now I end my turn and remove from play a Plant in my grave to special summon my Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis in defense." (1100/0) "And my Revenge Weed comes back as well." (400/800)

Hikaru watched the two new Rose Tokens appear on her field. She knew that things were getting going to end.

"Rose Flame!"

Hikaru watched the petals dance around her and she smiled.

**Hikaru: 0**

"And the winner is Ryou!"

**Sorry the ending felt so lame, hopefully the next duel will be better.**


	24. Takuya's Movement

**Damn this chapter is jumpy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own**

**The Yu-Gi-Oh anime or GX or 5D's**

**Why do you think there are no canon Yaoi couples?**

**It is a great show**

**That's easy to see**

**But why are there no canon Yaoi couples?**

**~xXx~**

Yuu quickly ducked into a clothing store. "I definitely need something new to wear," he hazed down at his clothes, a faded yellow t-shirt with long sleeves and faded blue jeans. "Yeah, new clothes would be nice."

"And the winner is Ryou," the television announced.

Yuu looked up excitedly. _'I didn't know he was…oh, different Ryou. It must be a popular name in the world of dueling."_

**. . .**

"Are you okay?" Ryou asked.

"Of course, that was a great duel. Let's do it again, sometime." Hikaru quickly jumped to her feet. "You know there isn't anything wrong with losing Ryou, you shouldn't be so nervous all the time." She laughed. '_And I loved the new cards Ashton have me. Witchling rocked.'_

"Yes, keep telling yourself that, loser," Morganna scoffed.

"Stop acting so high and mighty!" Nayuta barked. "I hope I get to duel you so I can put you on your place!"

"I don't want to hear this from a Ra Yellow." Morganna turned to the teachers. "Why don't you hurry up and announce the next match up?"

**. . .**

Aiko watched and laughed. "Hah, I knew Ryou had it in him. He's not my rival for nothing. But Morganna concerns me. I don't care if she's _his _daughter. Someone needs to put her in her place." _'Not that I need to concern myself with any of this. She'll learn her lesson soon enough.'_

Aiko watched Morganna smile. "You may think you're so great, but you'll see."

**. . .**

"Where am I?" Naota asked. He noticed the nurse staring at him. "Again?"

"Yeah, you might as well move in here." She joked.

Naota didn't find it very funny.

"You did well in your duel considering you faced a pro."

"Thanks. I was kind of hoping I'd get to use some of the cards he gave me though." Naota grinned. "I have some awesome new cards I want to check out."

"Really? I just got some new ones to, and I've been looking for someone to duel against."

"Cool, let's duel right now. Though, I think I better do this without my Duel Disk, I'm not so sure I'm ready for that just yet."

**. . .**

Takuya gazed up at the blue sky, listening to the birds whistle. "Dammit, this is so boring. It's not as if I can do much on my own. I just have to wait for everyone else to do their part."

Cthulhu smiled.

"Don't smile, it's just _wrong," _Takuya warned. "Eldritch Abominations do not smile."

Cthulhu looked down at Takuya. "Look, you know I'm not the real Cthulhu so stop acting like I am. You know the story of the Octogram and our origin. A bunch of card designers got bored one day and decided to base eight cards on their favorite parts of culture."

Takuya laughed. "Yeah, yeah, you aren't really Cthulhu, but it still looks weird when you smile."

"As I was about to say, if you're bored, why don't you duel someone? You could use the practice if you're really serious about going head to head with the Organization, Morganna, Emi, and whoever else you'll have to duel."

"Practice? I'm already better than everyone on this island," Takuya scoffed at the notion of practicing. "I can beat any of the teacher's blindfolded."

"Is that so?" A voice challenged. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind dueling me."

"Hello, Lunatic Princess."

**. . .**

Yuu continued to watch the tournament on TV. "Aww, it sucks that Hikaru had to loose but at least she had fun. I wonder what the next match will be." He focused intently on the television, ignoring the pounding beats that rang through the store.

"_Egaruoc eht dah I fi ebyam. Leef I woh uoy llet dluoc I__."_

Though the pop song was one of his favorites, Yuu blocked it out for now.

"_**And out next match will be between," the teacher waited for it, "Isamu versus Haley!" **_

_**The two boys stepped toward each other. "It's nice to meet you," Haley said politely. "I hope I can be a worthy opponent to you."**_

"_**There's no need to act so humble, Magus of the Ra Dorm." Isamu smiled. **_

"_**So you've heard of me?" Haley acted surprised. "I didn't know many people were aware of my nickname. It's such an embarrassing silly name. I wish people would stop calling me that."**_

"_**I've been hoping to duel you for a while," Isamu admitted.**_

"_**Well then, I won't keep you waiting."**_

"I hate the Dorm Rankings," Pikachu pouted. "Ra was a much stronger card than Obelisk, and Osiris was on equal grounds with Obelisk, so why is Osiris on the bottom and Ra on the top? It's because that stupid Kaiba has some sort of complex and wants to glorify his old card. Ra should be the top dorm."

"You're just saying that because you like the color yellow." Yuu chuckled.

**. . .**

"Which deck should I use?" Pondered Takuya. He opened his jacket to reveal the forty decks lining it. "I know, how about this one," he selected a deck and shuffled it.

"I activate my Duel Disk!" Eirin announced. They watched the real world fade away as Eirin's virtual world kicked in. The fake moon hung low in the sky, offering them enough light to counter the artificial darkness. "My turn," Eirin drew. "I summon Lunarian Bull!" (1500/1300)

"Ah yes, the card that protects all Spells and Traps." Takuya laughed. "You pick the right Spells and Traps and you can probably make it invincible. How delightful, let's see what else you have in store for us today, Eirin."

"You won't be laughing much longer. I activate Stone Begging Bowl of Buddha and Jeweled Branch."

"Two of the Impossible Requests in the first turn? Looks like I have to be careful, especially considering my deck type will repeatedly activate your Bowl. But that's okay, I look forward to winning."

"Keep dreaming." Eirin glared forward. "Your move, Takuya."

"I set five cards face down and a face down monster as well," the Duel Disk's soft electronic hum indicated the arrival of six face down cards. "Your move, Eirin."

"Trying to play defense? Bad idea with me, all it takes is six cards to end this all, and believe me, I have the draw power to find them." Her eyes scrutinized the four cards in her hand. "I summon Lunarian Werewolf in attack mode." (400/0) "You see, he's a werewolf, and when the full moon is out, he gets a massive attack bonus and becomes one of my strongest cards." A small wolf appeared on Eirin's side of the field. It had short brown fur and a cute grin. But it suddenly began to morph. Bones crunched as he began standing on his hind legs. His front paws turned into furry arms, and his head became more ferocious. "He gains 2000 attack points," Eirin explained. (2400/0) "First my Bull will attack your monster."

"Sakuretsu Armor and Skull Invitation, go!" Takuya watched Eirin's monster blow up and he grinned. "Whenever a card is sent to the grave, its controller takes 300 points of damage." A field of corpses appeared on the ground. A skeleton quickly shattered and sent shrapnel flying at both players.

**Eirin: 3700**

**Takuya: 3700**

Eirin didn't care too much. "My Bowl's effect let's me pick up a card. If it's a Spell, I get to keep it." She grabbed her next card and revealed it. "The Cow that Jumped. I can't activate it just yet so I'll have my wolf attack."

A familiar looking indestructible marshmallow appeared on Takuya's field. The werewolf sank his claws in but could do no harm.

"I'm afraid your Life Points take another hit." Takuya apologized.

**Eirin: 2700**

The Lunatic Princess growled. "I get to pick up another card." She revealed Kaguya to her foe. "It isn't Spell so I can't ad it to my hand. So, I either discard it or return it to my deck. I actually need this card so I'm putting it back."

"Poor, poor Eirin. She thinks she can stop me when she doesn't even know what's going on." Takuya laughed.

"I end my turn. My wolf gets a phase counter and loses his attack point bonus." Eirin's werewolf transformed back into a normal wolf with a mere 400 attack points.

"Nothing to protect it, how unlike you? Someone was too eager to draw blood and has left themselves wide open." Takuya taunted. "My turn," he reached for a card. "I activate Card Destruction. So get rid of your cards and draw new ones."

Eirin grunted as she lost her spell card, but smiled as she drew her Princess.

Bones shattered and showered both players in shrapnel. "My next card is a spell," she announced as she looked at it. "Pot of Greed," she quickly reveled it to Takuya.

**Eirin: 1500**

**Takuya: 3400**

"Your move," Takuya said with an innocent smile. Eirin angrily tore the next cardof her deck.

"I activate my Pot of Greed to draw two cards."

Takuya laughed. "I reveal my face down Curse of Darkness," he gazed into Eirin's angry eyes and listened to her heart beating with fury. "I can see you're upset. This card deals a player 1000 damage whenever a spell is activated, so that means you're taking a lot of damage right now."

A dark orb engulfed her and sucked the strength out of her body. _'What is this? Is he using magic?' _Flying bones cut at her skin, drawing blood.

**Eirin: 200**

Takuya grinned. "So what now? Do you have any cards that can eliminate all my threats at once? Because my cards are waiting to deal you damage. Of course I have those other two facedowns. Maybe you have a Continuous Trap waiting in your deck. A powerful effect monster?"

Eirin reached for her deck. "You activated my Bowl's effect twice." She looked at her first card. "A trap, I'll discard it." She grabbed the next one. "I activate Misery Lyre. This card negates all damage inflicted for the rest of the turn and when the turn's over it lets me Special Summon a monster from my deck with a defense less than or equal to the damage either of us would have taken."

"So right away you negate 1300 points of damage." Takuya commented. "That opens up a few possibilities."

A sphere of darkness and a shot of splintered bones fired at the female duelist. A golden lyre intercepted the attack and held it off with a golden aura.

"This would be so interesting if I actually cared. I activate Solemn Judgment to negate your Lyre's effect."

The golden lyre burst into a million pieces and the sphere of darkness broke through.

"Sure it costs half my Life Points and causes my Skull Invitation to damage me, but, I figure it's worth it."

**Takuya: 1700**

**Eirin: 0**

"Considering I win."

Takuya walked away with a grin. "Consider yourself lucky I didn't erase you."

**. . .**

"I summon Crusader of Endymion," Haley announced. (1900/1200) A blue armored Spellcaster appeared on the field. "And I activate the Field Spell Card, Magical Citadel of Endymion!" A beautiful city sprang forth from the ground and enchanted the audience. "This card is an all around master of Spell Counters. It can gains a counter for each spell played, it can use counters to protect itself, it gains the counters of any card that gets destroyed, ad once per turn it can use its own counters as payment for another card. Pretty useful, huh?"

Isamu smiled. "Just be ready for a beat down, because I have a lot of ravenous monsters heading your way."

"Sorry Isamu, but I don't have time to mess around. So I'm going to have to get serious about this duel. I set three cards face down and end my turn."

Isamu drew. "I summon Combo Warrior in attack mode." (1600/800) "And I equip him with Axe of Despair to boost his attack to 2600."

"And my Citadel gets a counter." Haley reminded his opponent.

"Now go, Combo Master, attack his Crusader."

The shirtless warrior swung the dark axe and sliced through the Spellcaster. "I set two cards and end my turn."

**Haley: 3500**

The Ra Yellow drew a card. "First I use Monster Reborn to bring my Crusader back." (1900/1200) Haley smiled as the ghostly image of his card faded into reality. "So my Citadel gets another counter. Next, I Gemini summon my Crusader to activate his effect. Once per turn I can place a Spell Counter on any card that can hold them. So my Citadel goes up to three. When I activate his effect, he gains 600 attack until the end of the turn." (2500/1200) Haley looked at the last card in his hand. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards and give my Citadel a forth counter." His Duel Disk shot out two new cards. "Perfect!" He held out his hand. "I activate my three face down Pitch Black Power Stones. These cards each gain three Spell Counters." Three dark orbs appeared above his head and hummed with power. "Now I use my Graceful Charity. In addition to providing my Citadel with a new Spell Counter, I can draw three cards and discard two. Next I'll activate Heavy Storm!" Haley watched the fierce winds tear through the arena. Isamu's face down cards shattered, as did the Pitch Black Power Stones and the Axe of Despair. "This card also gives my Citadel a counter, but I'll immediately remove it to protect it from the storm." The city began to glow brightly. "Oh, and when my Power Stones were destroyed, their Spell Counters went to the Citadel. So now, it has fourteen counters. "But how about I pay 800 Life Points to activate Premature Burial and make it fifteen?" An odd-looking magician rose from the dead. (800/400) "Say hello to Frequency Magician."

**Haley: 2700**

"Now, I have to admit I always had trouble making decisions. Do I want to tune these or use the Spell Counter my Magician just received? If I do that then I get to activate his effect and raise my Endymion's attack to 3100. Oh well." Frequency Magician burst into three rings of light and engulfed the Crusader.

"Let the fierce winds howl in the empty night. Hope dies and in the darkness. Let my raging winds engulf the world. Synchro Summon- Tempest Magician!" (2200/1400) A beautiful blue haired woman appeared. She skillfully twirled a sharp scythe through the air. "Sure her stats are weak but her effect is amazing."

Isamu watched in awe.

"But now I'll activate the effect of my Endymion, the Master Magician. See, I can Special Summon him from my hand or graveyard by removing six counters from my Citadel." Glowing runes appeared on the ground as the Master Magician appeared in a flash of light. (2100/1600) "When I use his effect to Special Summon him, I get to add a Spell from my grave to my hand. So I pick Monster Reborn so I can bring back my Crusader of Endymion."

(1900/1200)

"This brings back another counter to my Citadel. Now, sadly, my Crusader has lost his power up, but that's okay." Haley smiled. "Now to demonstrate my tempest magician's effect." The card began twirling her scythe through the air, whipping up fierce storm winds. "I can remove all Spell Counters from the field and deal you 500 damage for each one! And I have ten counters!"

Fierce winds sliced through the air and knocked Isamu onto the ground.

**Isamu: 0**

"Wow, that was an amazing duel," Isamu said. "I just wish I could have served as a better opponent. I feel embarrassed for losing so badly."

"Don't be, that was just an extreme case of luck on my part. I don't normally get those many monsters out so quickly or accumulate so many Spell Counters. And if you still feel embarrassed, then redeem yourself in the next round. I forfeit. You win this round." Haley slowly walked away.

"Looks like the winner is Isamu!" Mr. Ayanami exclaimed in awe.

"B-but why? You just beat me."

Haley smiled. "Going further would be meaningless; I already know who will win this tournament." He vanished into the crowd. _'None of you can even come close to Morganna's power.'_

**~xXx~**

**Well there you go, two duels in one chapter, though neither was very back and forth. Both duels end with someone getting owned badly, so I hope you don't mind. I was planning to have a third duel this chapter, but it felt climatic to end things here.**


	25. Nowhere Nevermore

Disclaimer: I still don't own. **Also, by reading this and any other chapter you agree to hold me in no way responsible for any sanity loss that may occur.**

**I still don't own .hack. I also don't own the Raven.  
**

**I don't own the name Velonica or the musical references made. No actual lyrics are used though so please don't sue.**

**. . .**

"Wow," Yuu watched the duel in amazement. "He's good. He should be in Obelisk with that kind of skill."

"Pfft, Ra should be at the top anyway." Pikachu's eyes lit up. "I have an idea Yuu. Challenge Kaiba to a duel and kick his ass. Then we'll force him to make Ra Yellow the top dorm."

"Ummm Pikachu, there are some major problems with that," Yuu explained, "First off, I doubt he'd even accept my challenge. Second, I doubt I'd be able to beat him."

"You have the Zodiac Mages, I'm sure you'd be able to grab his attention. Besides, with them on your side and me as your trump card not even Kaiba could stand up to you."

"He has the Blue Eyes White Dragons, the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and the Blue Eyes Saint Dragon. I wouldn't stand a chance against him." Yuu smiled. "Though I would love the chance to duel him. It sounds fun."

"The chance to duel who?" A voice inquired.

Yuu spun around slowly. "You-you're. You are!"

He had long white hair fashioned in downward spikes. A blue sweater covered pale skin, and dark blue jeans covered his legs.

"My name's Ryou Bakura. It's nice to meet you."

"I am your biggest fan. I wish I had an autograph book so I could get your autograph," Yuu squealed.

"Fan? I didn't realize I had any fans. I don't even know what I've done to have fans for?" Ryou chuckled.

"Are you kidding? You're a Duelist. I've seen your duels, you're amazing."

"Really? But I've only been in a few professional duels," Ryou Bakura responded. "I haven't even dueled anyone with that great a reputation."

"But you almost beat Yugi in Battle City. You would have won too if he hadn't pulled out his God Card. Those things are severely overpowered anyway."

"So you're duelist too, right?" Ryou asked, noting Yuu's duel disk. "I was just looking for some new clothes. How about we duel once we're done?"

"That would be great," Yuu said with a smile.

'_Hah, stop fooling around. We don't have the time to mess around with kids,' _said a voice in the back of Ryou's head.

'_Oh a little fun wouldn't hurt would it? Besides, you're always getting to duel; I haven't had the chance to play with anyone in a while.'_

_. . ._

Eirin tried to move but couldn't find the energy. _'What was that power? Takuya drained me somehow. I can barely stay awake. What was with that deck anyway? It was an intense burn deck. And it messed with me. He kept activating my Stone Begging Bowl to ensure that I got a Spell Card I could use, and then he activated his other trap. He had me dancing in the palm of his hands. What kind of Osiris is capable of that? I don't think the Academia has seen one that strong since the days of Judai Yuki.'_

"Eirin, you look like you could use some help," a voice spoke. Eirin reached for the hand offered to her.

"Thanks Emi."

"What happened? You don't look too well." Emi asked.

"I dueled Takuya. He beat me, badly." Eirin frowned. "I'm worried that he may be even stronger than you."

**. . .**

Nayuta twirled around energetically. "Look out Morganna, I'm going to annihilate you."

"Empty promises hold no sway over me. I won't let your boasting get to me. Now stop acting like child and get ready to duel!"

"Now, now," Mr. Ayanami began. "There's no reason to be so harsh to your opponent. Good sportsmanship is always"

"Shut up, dad." Morganna drew five cards. "Your move, Nayuta."

"Let's get this party started." She drew a hand of six cards. "Okay now it's time to change the story, but I'm going to be honest with you, we'll go from a boring dialogue to an all out action duel!"

"Shut up and play the game."

"Who has time to play around?"

**. . .**

"Let's get this duel started and have a blast. Say your prayers now before I kick your ass," Nayuta growled.

"Assonance, wow, I'm so scared."

"I set one card and summon Velonica Magician." (1600/1400)

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon," Morganna played her card with a graceful flair. She danced and twirled while the audience stared. "Your card now I'll blow away. I'll show you how to win this game."

"Trap card activate, Gallop's the name," Nayuta cried. "I discard one card and attack points gain. To the tune of 1000 as its base. With 300 more for the discarded's Velonica name!" (2900/1400)

"What the Hell did she say?" Isamu asked.

Morganna turned to the boy. "Try to pay attention. Gallop let her discard a card to give her monster a thousand point attack boost., The card she got rid of was a Velonica card, so she gets 300 more."

"See?" Isamu turned to Nayuta. "She just said that like a normal person would. So please, could the assonance; it makes it harder to figure out what's going on. You're supposed to duel, not sing a song."

"Shut up and watch and have some fun," Nayuta instructed.

"So let's get things started and have some fun." Morganna said with a chuckle. "I summon Raven Blaster Toua and set one card." (1800/1500) A cute teen with black hair appeared on the field. He wore a red kimono and carried a black katana in his hands. "Your move Nayuta. Better show your stuff."

"I'll show you my moves with a killer rush!" Nayuta twirled dramatically but nearly lost her balance. "I activate my Magician's Special Effect to bring back my Velonica Gunner!" (1900/1200) "I send one Velonica card from my deck to the grave. Your Touya is then showered with bullets and bites the dust." Velonica Gunner riddled the bishounen with ammo and watched his burst apart. "I use Monster Reborn and a dead monster I'll raise. Come back, Velonica Soldier, and save the day!" (1200/1000) "When he's summoned or Special SUmmoned I can take any Velonica card from my deck and ad it to my hand. And every card in my deck is a Velonica card."

"That has got to be the most broken searcher I have ever seen," Morganna moaned. "Byt it doesn't matter. take any card you want, I'll still annihilate you."

"Velonica Army, attack her directly!" Nayuta's monsters surged forward, kicking, slashing, and shooting. Morganna stumbled backwards.

**Morganna: 300**

"Not so tough now, are you?" Nayuta taunted. "I'll set two cards, my turn I'll end, and now we're back to you again."

"I'll show you the power of my deck." Morganna laughed. "I activate my face down card, Call of the Haunted. This brings back my Touya!" Morganna's monster returned to the scene. "To follow up, I'd like to normal summon Raven Blaster- Izumi! (1200/1000) A blonde in a blue kimono took the stage. He held a paper fan. "I remove from play Mystical Space Typhoon to activate his effect. He gains 500 attack points and the ability to destroy one spell or trap a turn!" (1700//1000) He snapped his hand forward, and a gust of wind shot out from his fan, tearing through one of Nayuta's cards. "You can't activate any spells or traps in response."

Nayuta frowned as her trap blew into pieces. "Next I activate the Spell Card Double Summon. This lets me normal summon another monster to the field. So I bring out Raven Blaster-Alkaid in defense mode." (900/1500) A red haired beauty with a short red dress and skirt jumped onto the field and curled into a defensive position. She held two daggers and smiled. "Now I remove from play the Double Summon in my grave to activate the effect of Raven Blaster-Rikku (1300/1000) in my hand. I can Special Summon her to the field and increase her attack by 500." (1800/1200)

"I get your deal. Most of the Raven Blasters are tied to a specific spell and by removing them from your grave you can offer them a power bonus and a new effect or some other sort of benefit." Nayuta surmised.

"Very good, Nayuta." Morganna teased. "Touya, Rikku, attack Magician and Knight!" Morganna laughed as Rikku rushed forward. Her blonde braid trailed her like a tail. Her twin daggers sliced the Velonica card to bits. Touya's sword effortlessly beheaded his target.

**Nayuta: 3200**

"Draw!" Nayuta grimaced at her lousy luck. "I set one card face down and attack your Rikku."

"I activate my spell card, Command Silence!" Morganna grinned. "This not only protects my monster and I from harm, it lets me draw a card." Morganna laughed as she pulled her next card. "Nayuta, I hope you're ready for the end." Morganna clutched her card tightly in her fingers.

"I'm ready for the end of my turn if that's what you mean. But first I'll use my gunner's effect to shoot down Izumi."

Izumi died in the ensuing gunfire.

Morganna grabbed a second card. "I activate the Field Spell Card, Nevermore Manor!" A ghostly looking manor rose behind Morganna. "Next I use Card of Sanctity! Everyone's favorite isn't it? Both players draw until they have six cards."

Nayuta and Morganna both raced for their cards, like victory was on the line. "Now I raise my Life Points by 1000 by activating Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

**Morganna: 1300**

A green shower of rain fell on Morganna, raising her Life Points by 1000. "Next I normal summon Raven Blaster-Shino in defense." (500/1500) "I remove from play Dian Keto to raise her attack (1000/1500) and activate her special effect. Now I'll gain more Life Points each turn."

Shino looked like a cute blonde girl with a green dress and two angelic wings. She wore a white beret and carried a simple wooden staff. "Next I'll have my Touya attack you, and I'll activate the effect of my Manor. I can search my deck for up to two spells and remove them from play to raise my Raven Blaster's attack by 300 each. (2400/1500) It only lasts during the damage step, but that's enough to crush your Velonica card."

Touya cut through Gunner like scissors through paper. His blade made a swishing noise as it tore through the air.

**Nayuta: 2700**

"Next I attack directly with Rikku and remove two more cards from my deck." (2400/1000)

The force of the attack pushed Nayuta backwards. She listened to her Life points drop.

**Nayuta: 300**

Nayuta frowned at the reversal of the situation. _'Is she being cautious? She could have won easily if she attacked with all her monsters. Maybe she's just toying with me.' _She considered the possibilities but found the internal debate to be a pointless waste of energy.

"I just need this to work out," she sighed. "I activate my face down spell card, Moving. I add one card from my hand to the bottom of my deck and draw three cards." She revealed the card she was returning to her deck. But it has to be a Velonica Card though, or else I only draw two."

Three new cards appeared to her and gave her a smile. "I activate the Field Spell Card, Nowhere!" Morganna's manor sank to the depths of the arena. Nothing took its place. "This card's effect actually resembles Black Garden a bit. All monsters lose half their attack points!"

**Touya 800  
**

**Alkaid 450**

**Riku 900**

**Shino 500**

"Next I summon Marissa the Master Thief!"(100/900) a blonde witch appeared on the field, wearing a cute black and white witch's robes. "Be careful or she'll steal your heart!" Nayuta smiled. "Now, Nowhere does cut her attack in half, but it also gives her a 300 point boost afterwards. You see, though she may not seem like it, she is in fact, a Velonica Card."

**Marisa-(800/900)**

"Nayuta, she's still weak, so stop grinning and either activate a new spell, pla a face down, or reveal some hidden effect." Morganna narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"Well, you do have to discard one random card to your grave when I play her." Morganna obeyed. "Then I guess I equip her with Asterisk Shuriken to boost her attack by 300." (1200/900) A large silver shuriken appeared in her hands. She skilldully tossed it at Touya.

"So no she can attack!"

Touya sliced at the shuriken with his katana. Sparks flew as he tried to fend it off, but he couldn't muster the strength. The flying weapon sliced him in half.

**Morganna: 1000**

"Next I draw a card." Nayuta happily received an additional card in her hand. "Since it's a Velonica Card I can reveal it to you to deal you 300 points of damage."

**Morganna: 700**

"I place three cards face down and end my turn."

"And Shino raises my Life Points by 1000. Go, Repth!"

**Morganna: 1700**

"I activate Alkaid's effect. By removing from play one Spell in my hand to destroy all Spells and Traps on the field!" A fierce wind whipped around the battlefield, tearing through all of Nayuta's face down cards.

"I activate the Quick Play Spell Card Love Master Spark. Not only does it carry a powerful effect, it also counts as a Velonica Card. I simply shuffle one Marisa on the field back into my deck to destroy all your monsters. Then it also prevents all battles on the turn it was activated."

**Nayuta: 150**

"It also costs galf my life Points."

"I'll set one card and summon Raven Blaster- Cirruci." (1900/1000) "Your move."

"And its also the final one of the game, Morganna. I have seven diffirent Velonica cards inmy graveyard."

"Like that's a challenge? The Card Designers must have been drunk if they thought it would make an appropriate condition for anything."

Nayuta sighed. "Look, originally there were only a few cards in the Velonica Archetype. The designers had too much fun with it and made a ton. So they were mostly discontinued. That satisfy you?"

"Boo," jeered a member of the audience. "No exposition, we want a duel!"

"Fine, I'll show you true grace. The Dragon of the Medley show your face. With one attack Life Points erase!" She played a single card. A bright light flashed behind her as the beautiful dragon appeared. "By removing from play seven Velonica Cards in my graveyard to Special Summon Kumikyoku Dragon!" (4000/0) "He'll attack you now. Smiling Power Breath!" The beautiful dragon began rising into the sky riding the wind on seven silver wings. He fired an energy blast from his mouth, aiming directly at Cirruci.

"I activate my Trap Card, Magic Cylinder."

Two cups appeared in front of Cirruci. One opened up to swallow the attack, the other fired it back out, directly at Nayuta.

**Nayuta: 0**

The holograms began to vanish. Morganna simply smiled. "Foolish little girl. I beat most of the Pros in this tournament so easily, what made you think you stood a chance?"

Nayuta growled. "Ryou, Ashton, Isamu, whicever one of you duels her, promise me you'll take her down."

Mr. Ayanami began clapping in awe. "What a wonderful performance by one of our schools top duelists. :et's give her a round of applause please."

Morganna rolled her eyes as the entire auditorium erupted into a chorus of claps and cheers.

Mr. Ayanami spoke into the microphone again. "Now everyone, let's take a short thirty minute break before the next duel, Ryou vs Ashton!"

. . .

Ryou Bakura and Yuu Akimoto faced each other outside the clothing store. "I can't believe I actually get to face you in a duel," Yuu exclaimed. "I feel like this has to be a fantasy."

_'We haven't much time before we're supposed to meet the others, you better hurry up.'_

_'Oh relax, we have plenty of time. Besides, you do realize who this child is, right?'_

Ryou smiled. "It's time to duel!"

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

**Okay next up is Yuu versus Bakura. That duel was supposed to be at the end of the last chapter, but it kept getting pushed back. I hope you enjoy it.  
**


	26. Mugen Reaper Necrocide

Disclaimer: I still don't own. **Also, by reading this and any other chapter you agree to hold me in no way responsible for any sanity loss that may occur.**

**I don't own the name Velonica or the musical references made. No actual lyrics are used though so please don't sue.**

**I also don't own the Headless Horseman or Sleepy Hollow. Or Merlin.**

**. . .**

Ryou Bakura drew six cards. "I'll make the first move, if you don't mind."

The white haired adult looked over his cards. "I summon the Headless Horseman in attack mode." (1350/800)

Ryou's card sprang to life instantly. A headless knight in old Victorian era clothing appeared. He rode a frightening black horse with glowing red eyes. "I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Yuu grabbed a new card. _'Ryou is known for being an extremely tricky duelist. If I attack him carelessly, he could throw my strength back at me. But if I take too long then he'll effortlessly eliminate me like a pest. So, I better take my chances.'_ Yuu grabbed a card with two of his fingers and slapped it onto the Duel Disk. "I summon Zodiac Mage-Cancer!" (1300/1700) The robed Spellcaster took his place at Yuu's side. "I activate his effect, once per turn I'm allowed to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand. Thing is, if Cancer is removed from the field, I destroy any card he's summoned. So I bring out Capricorn!" (1800/500) "This Zodiac Mage let's me add a Spellcaster in my deck to my hand, so I'll pull Aquarius!" Yuu smiled. "This is where it gets good. See the Zodiac Mages are the masters of the Rush tactic. They outperform even the Blackwings. So I just activate my Dimension Magic and offer Capricorn to Special Summon Aquarius (1200/1100) A magical coffin sealed Capricorn away. In a burst of flames Aquarius took the field. "Now say bye to your horseman."

Aquarius shot a stream of blue water at the Horseman, causing Ryou Bakura to smile.

"I activate the Trap Card, Tainted Reflection." A Jet-black mirror shot out of Ryou's newest card. "This negates the destruction of my monster by spell effect, though it fails to negate the other effects of your card. It does however, deal you damage equal to half the attack of the monster you attempted to destroy."

A featureless shadow shot out of the mirror. Taking the shape of a colorless Headless Horseman, he galloped toward Yuu and sliced at the boy with a sword.

**Yuu 3325**

"First I'll use Aquarius' effect. It's basically the same as Cancer's, except I can pull the Spellcasters from my Grave!" I'll attack your Headless Horseman with my Capricorn!" Yuu announced. The Zodiac Mage sent a wave of magic that shattered the Horseman to bits. "And I'll follow up with two direct attacks."

Twin beams of light struck Bakura in the gut.

**Bakura: 2050**

'_You're losing badly. Would you like me to take over? After all, I'm the one the boy really wants to duel.'_

'_Relax; it's all part of my plan. Now quiet down before I decide to see a hypnotist and make him make you think you're a cat.'_

'_You're a lot more annoying than I remember you being.'_

'_I've grown up; I know how to handle myself around you.'_

'_I miss the old days when I could take over your body whenever I wanted to.'_

"I set two cards and I end my turn."

"Now that Headless Horseman has been destroyed and the turn is over, I can activate his effect. By removing him from play, I can Special Summon a monster from my hand, as long as it has less than 500 attack. So I choose this, MyotisDraco, the Vampire Dragon!" (0/0) A shadowy dragon appeared on Ryou's side of the field. It looked like a merciless creature. Snarling teeth, glowing red eyes, and pointed claws all rolled into one card. "During my standby phase his effect kicks in."

A dark aura surrounded the Zodiac Mages and began flowing into the dragon.

**Capricorn- 1300**

**Aquarius- 700**

**Cancer- 600**

**MyotisDraco- 1500**

"He steals 500 attack points from each of your monsters. And during each standby phase, he also gets a Soul Feast Counter for each of your monsters. You'll get to see its effect in just a minute. But first I set two cards face down and summon Sin Shaman- Tori." (1000/1000) A wrinkly old man in shaman robes took the field. "Next I activate Soul Absorption. So whenever a card is removed from play, I gain 500 Life Points per card. I follow up with Gold Sarcophagus."

"So you remove a card from play, gain 500 Life Points, and two turns later you get that card?"

Ryou smiled. "Not quite. I remove from play Necroface! Her effect activates. When she is removed from play, both players remove from play the top five cards of their deck."

Yuu watched in amazement as his deck spat out five cards."

**Ryou Bakura: 7550**

"I'm glad that thing is limited to one card per deck," Yuu admitted.

"Indeed," Ryou grinned. "Now I'll have my MyotisDraco attack your Aquarius sop we can get rid of your Capricorn as well."

"Not going to happen. I use Mirror Force to destroy all your monsters."

"I'm sorry Yuu, but I'm going to activate a monster effect now. Thanks to Necroface, I was able to remove from play a Lost Spirit monster. You see, Lost Spirit monsters, when removed from play, gain powerful effects. But they can't use them without a little help. So thanks to the Shaman on the field, I get to activate the effect of my card."

Yuu nodded. "Sounds really cool."

"There are numerous restrictions of course, but let's get to the good part. I activate the effect of Lost Spirit- Wandering Wolf. Once per turn, if he is removed from play and I have a Sin Shaman on the field, I am allowed to negate the effect of one trap card and destroy it. Next, he lends his attack to the shaman until the end of the turn."

Sin Shaman Tori began to glow a bright blue color. (2600/1000) "Now the attack connects."

The MyotisDraco devoured Aquarius' soul and as a result, Capricorn shattered.

**Yuu: 2575**

"Now go, attack his other monster, Sin Shaman, Feather Wind!" A flurry of feathers blasted the final Zodiac Mage to bits.

**Yuu: 775**

Yuu grinned. "I haven't had this much fun in ages."

Ryou smiled. "Same here, I was so worried when you started Special Summoning monsters left and right. I thought I'd lose before I even got to put my combo into action. Now, as I said earlier, my MyotisDragco receives Soul Feast Counters at the start of ever turn. When he destroys a monster in battle, he sucks away 100 of your Life Points for every one."

**Yuu: 475**

"And they go to me."

**Ryou Bakura: 7850**

"Your turn."

Yuu drew a card. _'I wonder what the drawback to his Shamans and Lost Spirits are. Maybe he can only activate one per Shaman a turn. Is there a limit to the number of spirits his shaman can handle?'_

"I summon Zodiac Mage Leo!" (2000/0) "He can Special Summon a Spellcaster that's been removed from play, so I use his effect to bring out Magician of Tears!" (2100/1700)"When she's Special Summoned I can increase my Life Points by 2000, as long as you're in the lead!"

**Yuu: 2475**

The Magician had long silver hair and a warm gentle smile. Her blue eyes told a tale of sorrow that few could comprehend. Her beautiful silver dress sparkled in the sunlight. Her hands held tightly to an oak staff, waiting for an order to attack. "Now, go, Magician of Tears, attack his Sin Shaman!"

A force of blue light erupted from her staff and gushed toward the Shaman.

"Once per turn I can activate the effect of Lost Spirit- Lonely Owl. I can negate any attack then raise a Sin Shaman's attack until the end phase. Since my Owl had 1200 points, my Shaman gains that many." (2200/1000) "Care to continue your battle phase?"

"Go, Leo, slay that dragon." Leo unleashed a burst of light that set the MyotisDraco ablaze. His pained roars echoed through the street as he fell over in defeat.

**Ryou Bakura: 7350**

"I activate the Trap Card, Limitless Breaker. When a monster I control is destroyed in battle, I can destroy one card on your side of the field. So I destroy your Zodiac Mage Capricorn."

Yuu watched his two monsters vanish before his eyes.

"Now here comes the fun part. You pick up the top three cards of your deck and show them to me. If they're the same kind of card as the one I just destroyed, you remove the from play. So that means any monsters you puck up are removed from play."

Yuu took a look at his next three cards. "One Spell and two monsters." He slid his two monsters away and watched Soul Absorption spring into action.

**Ryou Bakura: 8350**

Yuu grinned. "Thanks for the spell. I activate Sealed Exchange. I send one face down spell or trap card to the graveyard and pick up two cards from the top of my deck. I get to set one of them and send the other to the grave, unless they're both monsters in which case they both go to the graveyard." Yuu grabbed two cards and set one face down. "The best part is, I get to activate that card this turn. So I use my trap card, Burst Apart. I can only activate it if I'm trailing by 2000 or more points. This card allows me to destroy any card on your field and I pick your Shaman."

The Sin Shaman blew into pieces.

"As I suspected, he could only channel one Spirit at a time."

"Sounds like a lot to risk on a hunch," Ryou commented with a smile. "Now I activate my Trap Card, New Tactics. If both players have lost a monster this turn, then we both get to draw until we have three cards in our hand."

Yuu looked at his new cards and smiled. "I set two cards and end my turn."

Ryou Bakura drew a new card immediately. "I summon Sin Shaman- Fukuro." (1600/300) A young gray haired shaman appeared on the field. He looked no older than twelve and smiled as he danced about in his Native American clothing. "I'll have him attack you directly." The Sin Shaman sent an owl flying toward Yuu.

"Command Silence, it negates the attack and lets me draw one card." Yuu narrated.

A blue aura surrounded the shaman as his attack rose by 500 points. "By using the effect of Lost Spirit- Luck Tanuki, I can negate one spell a turn."

**(2100/300)**

'_There has to be a downside that I'm missing.'_

"If you want to know the draw back to my Sin Shamans, it's really quite simple. The Lost Spirits grow restless if they can't return to the grave, and three stand by phases after being removed from play, they'd all return to the grave on their own. And they'd try to take me with them by dealing me 500 Points of damage each. Of course, in two turns I reclaim my Necroface and I get to use her other effect, so I'm afraid it won't come to that."

Sin Shaman's attack continued. The owl tore at Yuu's body with his talons.

"I activate the trap card, Draining Shield. This card negates the attack and increases my Life Points by your monster's attack."

**Yuu: 4757**

"Your move."

"Thanks." Yuu thought it over. _'Once per turn he can negate a Spell or Trap. And that only makes him more powerful. Maybe that means I need to fight with raw power.' _Yuu grabbed his next card. "I summon Dreadcast Magician." (2400/0) The card looked like a cross between the Dark magician and the grim reaper. He had the features of the magician but with a purple version of the reaper's standard outfit. "He may seem powerful, but he's for emergencies only. I attack your Shaman with my Dreadcast!" The magician swung his silver scythe through the air and let it fly like a discus. It sliced straight through the shaman.

**Ryou Bakura: 7550**

"Next I activate the spell card, Magical Prayer trick. When a Spellcaster destroys a monster in battle, I can activate this card to draw one card from my deck." His eyes brightened. "Perfect. Go, Card of Sanctity! This means we both et to draw until we have six cards n her hand."

The young boy looked over his new hand carefully. "I end my turn."

Ryou drew. "And now my Necroface returns to me. I summon her to the field."

Yuu's stomach trembled in disgust. The card resembled a baby's head with a tumor growing on the side and tentacles sprawling everywhere. "We shuffle all removed from play cards into our decks, and se gains 100 attack for each."

Yuu watched the fiendish creature gain its bonus. (2400/1800) "I set two cards and end my turn."

Yuu sighed as he drew his next card. "My Magician loses 1000 attack points each turn and can only be released to summon another Spellcaster. So I release him to normal summon The Nightmare Illusion." (2500/0) A pale blue smoke appeared on Yuu's side of the field. "Next, I activate Spellcaster's Sealing Seal! If I control a Spellcaster of Level 6 or higher I can stop you from activating facedown cards this turn."

Ryou smiled.

"I activate Tribute to the Doomed. By discarding a card I can get rid of your Necroface."

A mummified hand rose from the depths of darkness and pulled Necroface down into and endless abyss.

"Now I use Monster Reborn to bring back Aquarius (1200/1100) and I'll use my Zodiac mage to bring back Magician of Tears." (2100/1700) "Her effect activates and I gain 2000 Life Points!"

**Yuu: 6575**

"Wow, that thing seems to be an extremely powerful healer. I assume there's a draw back."

"Yeah, if she's Special Summoned while her owner is in the lead, he or she takes 3000 points of damage." Yuu smiled. "But that doesn't matter, everyone, direct attack."

Three blasts of magic knocked Ryou Bakura backwards.

**Ryou: 1750**

"Oh wow, just when I thought I had this one won."

Yuu smiled. "Two face downs and it is your move."

'_Are you sure you don't want me to take over for you?'_

'_Just watch me,' _Ryou thought with a smile.

"I summon Headless Knight in attack mode." (1450/1700) The new headless monster brandished its sword threateningly. "And I set one card facedown. Next I activate Illusion Spirit and equip it to Headless Knight. This Special Summons an Illusion Token to the field with the exact same stats. Your move."

Yuu grabbed a new card. _'Looks like he's playing it safe.' _"Go, Magician of Tears, attack his Headless Knight."

"Not quite, you see, I'm activating a trap card known as Shift. This transfers your attack over to my token. And though any damage in a battle with him becomes zero, he has the powerful effect of reducing your monsters attack by his own."

**(650/1700)**

"But I'll follow up with Spirit Drain. I chose one monster on my field and reduce its attack to 0. Then all those points go to another monster."

The Illusion's attack went down to nothing, and the weakened Magician beat it easily.

"But now I use Mirror Tablet. Since you destroyed my monster in battle I can choose another monster I control. It gains one-half the original attack of the monster that just destroyed its friend. Then the two cards are forced to fight."

(**3050/1700) **

The Headless Knight slashed through the Magician of Tears and dealt a heavy blow to Yuu's Life Points. His sword cut deep into the young boy's body.

**Yuu: 4175**

"I activate my trap card, Spellcaster's Retribution. When a Spellcaster is weakened by an opponent's card effect and then destroyed in battle, I get to deal half their attack to you as effect damage."

An explosion of magic nearly knocked Ryou off balance.

**Ryou Bakura: 700**

"I set two more cards."

"Does this mean it's my move now?" Ryou asked as he drew. "I play Painful Choice. I choose five cards in my deck and show them to you. You have to puck one for me to keep and I discard the rest. So the cards I choose are these!"

He held out five cards.

"The Ouija Board and Death?" Yuu asked in shock. _'What is he planning?' _He thought it over. "I pick 'T'."

Ryou smiled as he placed the other five cards in the grave. "The Ouija Board is a lot like Exodia. It has its own Special Win condition. Eventually they gave Exodia a new form with Exodia Necross. They recently did the same with the Ouija Board. I activate the Spell Card Useless Trash. I discard one card from my hand to draw another. And I discard my Death Message T."

Yuu could feel the air get colder.

"By removing from play the cards D-E-A-T-H in my grave I can Special Summon this monster from my hand. Come on out, Mugen Reaper- Necrocide!" (2000/2000)

**Ryou: 3200**

A tall monster floated in the air. It had frail looking bony arms covered in rotting flesh. A tattered black robe covered its body. Blood dripped from its double-sided scythe. Worms crawled in and out of its eye sockets. "Once per turn I can remove from play a Spell or Trap card to boost its attack by 1000 until the end of the turn. And if I can remove from play six spell or six trap cards with this monster's effect, I win the duel."

**Ryou: 3700**

A blue aura surrounded the creature as its attack rose to 3000. "Soul Slaying Scythe Slash!" The monster brought its blade down on Aquarius. The Zodiac Mage let out a scream of pain.

"I activate the Trap Card, Wizard's Inheritance. I give Aquarius 1200' attack to Nightmare Illusion and force your Necrocide to fight it."

The pale blue smoke shot through Necrocide, rotting it to dust. (**3700**)

**Ryou: 3000**

"I end my turn. And my Illusion's attack returns to normal."

Yuu went again. "I attack your Headless Knight with my Illusion."

"I activate my face down trap card, Corpse of a Thousand Souls. Three things are needed here. First, I must have a Necrocide in my grave, one that's been properly summoned that is. Two, I need a monster to release."

Headless Knight burst open, revealing a newer smaller Necrocide.

"Three, I pay half my life Points for this."

**Ryou: 1500**

"And I get to Special Summon True Necrocide- End of All, from my hand." (3000/0) this card had four arms, each holding a bloody double-sided scythe. "When he's Special Summoned, all monsters on your side of the field lose 1000 attack points, and they all battle him."

Yuu watched helplessly as his monster rushed forward with no way to stop it.

The Necrocide tore through it effortlessly. Four scythes twirled through the air in victory.

**Yuu: 2675**

"I activate the trap card, Magical Vortex. When a Spellcaster I control is destroyed, I can return all monsters on the field to their owners' hands!" Yuu breathed a sigh of relief as the threat vanished. "Then we each pick up the top card of our decks and if it's a monster, we Special Summon it."

Ryou smiled. "I love how this game can always change on the whim of a draw. This could go either way now."

Yuu grabbed his next card. "I Special Summon Zodiac Mage-Virgo." (1000/1000)

Ryou drew his card as well. "I Special Summon Sin Shaman- Hebi!" (1300/1000)

Yuu spoke through a smile. "I activate my Zodiac Mage's effect. Once per turn I can remove from play one Spellcaster from my graveyard and add its attack to my Life Points. So I remove from play Magician of Tears. And as long as this card remains on the field I'll keep bringing back more Life Points!"

**Yuu: 4775**

**Ryou: 2000**

_'If you both keep healing like this then the duel might last forever. Either hurry it up or let me play.'_

_'Not a chance.'_

_"Your move."_

"I'll open up with Card of Sanctity. Both players draw until they have six cards in their hand._" _Ryou Bakura grabbed a new supply of cards. "Next I activate the Continuous Spell card Infinity Over Zero. This card allows both players to normal summon a monster that has been removed from play. Next, I activate the Spell Card Sin Shamanism- Spirit Recoil. I can remove from play one Lost Spirit in my hand and deal half of its attack to both of us as damage! So I remove Lost Spirit- Buffalo of the Wild Fields." (1600/1500)

**Ryou: 1700**

**Yuu: 3975**

"Next I'll activate Upstart Goblin. By giving you 1000 Life Points I can draw one card."

Yuu observed the Sin Shaman as it began to glow bright red.

(**Sin Shaman**-** Hebi 2900**)

"My Lost Spirit negated your Life Point bonus." Ryou explained. "Next I'll normal summon my removed from play Lost Spirit!" The buffalo emerged from a mysterious black portal that opened on Ryou Bakura's field. (1600/1100) "I set one card and then I'll attack."

Sin Shaman-Hebi rushed forward and threw a bit of dust at Virgo, petrifying the Zodiac Mage. "Any monster destroyed by Hebi is removed from play," Ryou explained. He watched his wild buffalo tackle the younger player.

**Yuu**- **475**

**Ryou: 2200**

"Your turn, Yuu."

"I activate Zodiac Insignia! By discarding a Spellcaster from my hand, I can Special Summon a Zodiac Mage from my hand. So say hello to Zodiac Mage- Gemini." (1900/700) Two robed mages appeared on his field. "Once per turn I can double the attack of a Spellcaster I control, as long as don't attack directly with that monster. In addition it has another drawback, I can't use it on a turn I normal summoned a monster."

The robed Spellcasters began glowing brightly. (3800/700) "Go, Zodiac Star Blast!" A falling meteor fell on the Sin Shaman from above.

"By activating Spirit Shield I can negate your attack. Of course that means I need to remove one Zombie or Fiend from my graveyard to activate its effect. So, I remove Necroface."

Five cards shot off the top of Yuu's deck. He placed them in the removed from play zone. Ryou did the same.

**Ryou**: **7700**

"I set two cards and end my turn."

Ryou drew. "I normal summon Necroface!" The frightening face emerged from a portal on Ryou's side of the field. "She returns all removed from play cards to our decks and gins a power bonus." (2500/1800) "Attack his Zodiac Mage!" Tentacles shot at the Zodiac Mages, threatening to tear Gemini apart.

"I activate my face down trap card, Zodiac Alignment Shift! First, I select a Zodiac Mage on the field, so I pick my Gemini of course. For this turn, he gets 500 Attack Points and so do any monsters of the same Element. Any non Zodiac Mage monster of a different element will then lose 500 Attack Points."

**Zodiac Mage- 2400**

**Necroface- 2000**

The twins side stepped the tentacles and rushed forward. One brother grabbed the other's arms and spun him around. He let his twin go, and the other Zodiac Mage flew high into the sky. He crossed his arms and charged his palms with energy. A Fierce wind howled as it sliced through the ground, smashing Necroface to bits.

**Ryou: 7300**

"I end my turn," Ryou Bakura said through a smile.

Yuu drew his next card. "I activate Heavy Storm to destroy your three Spells and Traps!" He announced.

Three of the cards in Ryou's four-card combo all shattered. "Since my face down card was destroyed, its effect activates. Go, Emergency Inferno Flare! When it's destroyed, both players are forced to discard a monster. Then they take damage equal to that monster's attack." Yuu revealed his last card, Orange Burst. "I have no monsters so I'm safe."

Ryou discarded a monster and watched as a raging inferno ate away at his Life Points.

**Ryou: 5300**

"Now I activate my Spell card, Orange Burst! I release one Spellcaster I control to destroy all monsters on either side of the field with less attack."

Zodiac Mage burst into a beam of orange light and eradicated Ryou's monsters. "Two things happen next. First, both players take 400 damage for each of their monsters destroyed by the attack monster destroyed."

**Ryou: 4500**

**_'_**_It destroys monsters and deals damage.'_Ryou waited.

"Next I get to draw one card." Yuu smiled. "Now, I know you're thinking, what's the drawback, right? Orange Burst can only be activated when you have more Life Points than I do, and if I have no face down Spells or Traps and it's the last card in my hand. In other words, it's an emergency card. Further watering it down is the fact that if I release a powerful monster than I'll lose some monsters and Life Points as well. So it balances out fairly well."

Yuu reached for his next card, wondering if it would be his last in the duel. "I activate the Spell Card, One Last Shot. I can only use it if my field is empty. I get to draw a card and Special Summon it if it's a monster. If not, then it goes to the graveyard."

_'Think he'll get something?'  
_

_'It all depends.'_

Yuu reached for his deck and smiled. "I Special Summon Magician of the End Game!" (3000/0) "He's a Level 6 monster with 3000 attack. To balance it out, they gave him a negative effect. If I have more than 1000 Life Points, he loses 2000 attack," Yuu explained. "Now attack him directly, Finale Spark!" The wizard wore a blue robe and a golden crown that covered his head. Long blue hair spilled toward the ground. He raised his hand and gathered a storm of electricity before firing it at Ryou.

The older make stumbled backwards.

**Ryou: 1500**

Ryou Bakura smiled. _'This kid's deck is amazing. He can rush the opponent early on for a quick victory, and if things take too long and he is backed into a corner, he'll be able to use a powerful card to pull himself out. He could be a powerful duelist in the future._'

_'Hah, if you had let me duel him then he'd have lost by turn two.'_

"I end my turn."

Ryou drew. "Let's test your luck, why don't we. First of all I'm using Card Destruction. I toss out my last two cards and draw two more." Ryou smiled. "Now I normal summon the card Vampire Hypnosis." (1000/1000) "Once per turn I reduce one of your monster's attack points to half and give them to another monster I control." The pale creature in the black cape began to wave a watch. Yuu's fierce monster shrank down to half its size.

**Vampire- 2500**

**End Magician- 1500**

"He can't attack this turn, so I'll set a card and end my turn."

Yuu could barely breathe. The tension was getting to him. "I release my Magician to normal summon Mystic Witch of the Sky!" (????/0) a lovely girl descended from the heavens. She wore angelic robes, and bright fairy wings sprouted from her back. Her long purple hair cascaded toward the Earth. "She can only be normal summoned through the release of a Spellcaster, and her attack becomes twice that of the released monster's original attack." Yuu smiled. "End this, Divine Rush!"

A beam of bright red light shot toward Vampire Hypnosis. Ryou threw his hand out.

"Not so fast, I activate my Trap Card, Elegy of the Damned. I pay half my Life Points."

**Ryou: 750**

"And I can grab half of your monsters attack points and give them to my monster!"

Yuu watched his Witch's attack plummet as the Vampire's soared.

**Witch- 3000**

**Vampire- 5500**

Yuu's final card exploded as his Life Points stumbled toward 0.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

**Author's Notes: I hadn't planned for Yuu to lose this early on. He is supposed to be one of my strongest characters, but so far he has a 50/50 record not counting the flashbacks to when he was a kid.**

**I think I'm running out of jokes for Nayuta.**

**I got the effect of Mirror Tablet off the Yu-Gi-Oh wiki like I normally do. But there was conflicting information on its effect. If I used the wrong effect, we'll just rename it okay? ^^**

**Also, Nightmare Illusion has no effect.**

**And sorry if Ryou Bakura's Deck seems to jumpy. It centers on Soul Absorption with a few other mixed tactics thrown in.**

**Gah I'm not too pleased with how it went from combos to each player drawing a new card to try to outdo the other.**

**Also, sorry for the confusion of multiple Ryou's.**


	27. Tournament's Trials III BurningForestMix

**Author's Note: Just a short chapter here today. Sorry, I know it isn't much. As for the song, just something I did out of boredom.**

Disclaimer:

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh

**Well they say that at the end**

**Everything begins**

**But the tide's coming too fast**

**And I don't know how to swim**

**(So save me please)**

**.**

**I'm calling and pleading with the heavens**

**Please tell me that you can hear me**

**Calling out your name desperately**

**Somehow, tell me please**

**That you'll soon come back to me**

**.**

**There are nights I dream**

**Of seeing you once more**

**Every time that I wake up**

**I cry just like before**

**(I miss you)**

**.**

**I need you I miss you I love you so much**

**Please answer me if you can**

**I crave you I want you it's more than a crush**

**I want you to take my hand**

**Can I hold you forever as long as I live**

**I don't want to let you go**

**I'll give you anything and everything I can give**

**I need you more than you could ever know**

**I love you with my heart and soul**

**(I love you)**

**.**

**I know I can't make it without you**

**This world is just too rough**

**I tried to stand on my own**

**But I'm not strong enough**

**(So I'm begging you to come back)**

**.**

**I'm asking the heavens for a favor**

**Is it too much to want to see your face**

**I'm missing you and my heart's in daze**

**I'm always thinking and dreaming of you**

**I want to know my heart is so true**

**.**

**I'm just a kid who grew up way too fast**

**Delusionaly dreaming that innocence would last**

**My childhood is now lost in the past**

**Speeding towards an ending and I'm going to crash**

**(Maybe this is the way eternity begins)**

**(When you lose everything you're trying to win)**

**.**

**I need you to give me strength**

**I need you to show me the way**

**I need you to guide me through the lonely night**

**I need you to help me through the day**

**.**

**. . .**

**~.Xx.~**

**. . .**

**.**

"I miss you," Naota whispered. He listened to the song playing on his IPod and held back the tears. The rock song pounded away in his ears. _'Where are you? Why did you leave?'_

**. . .**

"That was awesome!" Yuu cried. "I haven't had this much fun in forever!"

"Wow, it's nice to know there are still some kids who are good sports. Most people I know are sore losers." Ryou commented.

'_Like that Seto Kaiba, always whining every time Yugi beats him in a duel. I'm glad out duel never reached a conclusion; I'd hate to have to listen to his bickering.'_

'_Oh he'd probably have made a come back and won anyway.'_

"_Well, looks like I'll have my rematch with him soon.'_

"Personally I find it boring if I always win. Losing is just as fun."

"Well it was nice meeting you but I'm afraid I have to be going now." Ryou waved goodbye as he walked down the sidewalk.

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who sensed the evil spirit clinging to his mind," Yuu turned to Pikachu and waited for a response.

"Oh no, it's there. And I say we follow him to figure out what's going on."

**. . .**

"I-I don't want to duel you," Ryou said to Ashton. "You're a Pro. I can't win."

Ashton took a sip from a champagne glass full of Diet Coke. He noisily slurped it down. "Don't think like that. Sure, I'm a Pro, but I'm not the best. Besides, this school aims to prepare many students for the chance to go pro. So it isn't that unusual for a student to have the talent needed to go head to head with a Pro. In fact, the entire tournament is supposed to be a way for students to see how they match against the Pros. And besides, Morganna was able to take on most of the Pros and win."

"But I'm not Morganna," Ryou noted.

"Indeed you aren't." The girl emerged from the shadows. "You are nothing compared to me. And neither is this pitiful excuse for a Pro," she added with a glance at Ashton.

"Cut it out the trash talk is getting boring," Hikaru reprimanded. "And it's mildly annoying."

"It's not like I don't have the skills to back up my words," Morganna rolled her eyes. "But if it bothers you that much, fine, I'll _try _to be nicer so you don't all end up crying like a bunch of babies." She paused for a second before offering a genuine, _"Good luck to you both,"_ to Ashton and Ryou. "I regret not being able to beat you both, but I'll settle for beating the winner."

Nayuta noted the time. "Our break is almost up, we better head back."

**. . .**

'_I hope they don't notice me following them," _Yuu thought as he followed Ryou Bakura through the shadows._ 'I wonder who he has to meet.'_

Ryou walked down and empty street. Plastic bags danced in the wind and litter rolled on by. An empty cup rolled down the street, producing a gentle hum as it passed. Ryou's footsteps echoed as he walked across the cracked sidewalk. Yuu timed his footsteps perfectly with the older man's.

'_Do you smell ramen?' _Pikachu asked.

Yuu silently nodded. He inhaled the scent of sizzling meat and warm soup.

A bell jingled as Ryou pulled open a small glass door. Yuu examined the sign hanging above the door. _'Ichiban Ramen Shop.'_

'_I wonder if he's meeting someone.' Yuu thought._

**. . .**

Ashton smiled as Ryou frowned. "I guess it's up to us to kick off this round," Ashton grinned as he drew. "I activate the Spell Card Spell Absorption!" A green card reveled itself on Ashton's field. "Now I gain 500 Life Points for Spell activated. I'll set two cards face down and summon Cure Mermaid in attack mode." (1500/800) A small pond opened on Ashton's side of the field. A blonde mermaid jumped out and landed with a loud splash. Water sprinkled over Ryou, he could swear he felt wet. "Next I activate Chain Energy from my hand."

**Ashton: 4500**

"Now we need to pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon, Normal Summon, activate, or set a card from our hand. I flip up my face down Toll. This card makes it so that we can not attack without paying 500 Life Points."

**Ashton: 5000**

"Es ist ihr bewegen." Ashton said with a smile.

Ryou drew his next card. _'I have to be careful. Ashton can burn away as much as 3000 Life points with two cards. If I'm careless than I'll drop down to nothing in an instant.'_

Ryou grinned. "I better make each card count. I activate Polymerization!"

The Duel Disks hummed a melancholy duet as Ryou's Life Points dropped and Ashton's grew.

**Ashton: 5500**

**Ryou: 3500**

"I fuse the Rose Archfiend and Archfiend Violet in my hand to Special Summon Archfiend Bouquet Wyvern!" (2000/1900) A green wyvern appeared on the field. Under either wing grew a red rose. A violet hugged its back. He roared as her bared his fangs and stomped his sharp claws in the ground. "He reduces the attack of all Non-Plants by 100 and gains 100 attack for each Plant in my graveyard!"

**Archfiend Bouquet Wyvern- 2200**

**Cure Mermaid- 1400**

"Attack, Petal Cannon." Two red lasers and a blue laser shot out of the flowers on the Wyverns back, tearing the Cure Mermaid to bits.

**Ashton: 3700**

**Ryou: 3000**

"When she inflicts battle damage, I get to Special Summon one of the Fusion Material Monsters from the grave. So I bring back Archfiend Violet!" (1800/1700) She looked like a blue-skinned demon with beautiful black hair. She dressed in a violet dress covered with violets that sprouted everywhere. In her hand, she carried a metal fan. "She gets a 100 Points for every Plant Type monster in my graveyard. When my Wyvern Special Summons a monster, it can't attack that turn."

Ryou reached for another Spell in his hand and activated it.

**Ashton: 5200**

**Ryou: 2500**

"Black Garden!"

Ryou's garden engulfed the field, wrapping itself around the place. "I end my turn."

"First, I activate Solemn Wishes. Then I draw!"

**Ashton: 5700**

"Now, whenever I draw a card I gain 500 Life Points. Now I activate Pot of reed to draw two cards," Ashton slipped away his Spell Card and reached for the top two cards of his deck. "This costs 500 Life Points but I get 1000 back for a total gain of 500."

**Ashton: 6200**

"Next I pay 500 Life points to summon Fire Princess in defense!" (1300/1500)

**Ashton: 5700**

A flame roared to life on Ashton's field and a beautiful princess emerged. Her long blonde hair spilled onto the field. Her orange robes danced in the wind. Black vines twisted around the princess.

'_Kinky,´ _Nayuta mentally joked.

Fire Princess' attack dropped to one half. (650/1500)

"Now I get a Rose Token." (800/800) A rose bloomed on the young boy's field.

"I end my turn by equipping my Fire Princess with Heart of Clear Water. Now she can't be destroyed by battle or card effects. Your move." Fire Princes smiled ash Ashton's Life Points went down then up. A flame erupted around Ryou.

**Ryou: 2000**

Ryou grabbed his next card.

'_Next turn he'll draw and I'll take 500 damage. If I activate a Spell, I'll take 500 Damage. So then that means I should fight with traps.'_ Ryou's hand went up in size. __"I draw." He set one card face down. "That's all I can manage."

**Ryou: 1500**

Ashton drew and gained Life Points. Fire princess set to work, tossing a flaming fireball at the Obelisk.

**Ashton: 6200**

"I summon Solar Flare Dragon in defense mode." (1500/1000)

**Ashton: 5700**

A red snake like dragon rose from the depths of a fiery pit. Vines tied up the dragon and cut its attack in half. (750/1000) "He can't be attacked as long as I control another Pyro type monster. So until you get rid of Fire Princess, he's safe. I end my turn thus activating his effect. You take 500 points of damage."

The Solar Flare Dragon opened his mouth and spat a river of fire over Ryou.

**Ryou: 500**

The crowd launched into a chorus of whispers. "He only has that face down to save him. What do you think it is? I dunno, I hope it's good."

"I activate Straight Flush! This trap card destroys every Spell and Trap on your side of the field!"

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ashton's cards shattered and left him with nothing more than two monsters to protect him. "Next I use Flower Gift! I give control of one of my Plant's to you and I gain Life Points equal to its attack. So I give you my Rose Token and raise my life Points by 800."

**Ryou: 1300**

'_I should really get rid of his Fire Princess, it could KO me next turn, but, I want to build up my forces a bit as well. And I want to at least inflict a bit of damage. If I have to lose, I want to go out fighting like everyone else. I don't want to be some coward who played it safe. But if I play this right then I should be able to…that's right.'_

"My Wyvern will attack your Rose Token!" Three streams of light blasted the Rose Token to bits. Petals danced in the air as they fell to the ground.

**Ryou: 4400**

"Now I can bring back my Rose Archfiend in attack mode." (2200/600) Vines strangled the beautiful blonde demon with pale snow-white skin and a blood red kimono. She carried a sword with a beautiful red rose for a hilt. Her attack dropped to 1100. "She can't attack this turn, sadly. But that doesn't mean she won't help me out. She gives you a Rose Token for her friend to target! To top it off, while she's on the field, all non plants lose 100 attack points."

(800/800) A rose sprouted on Ashton's field.

"Are you sure this is what you want to be doing? I still have my Fire Princess and Solar Flare Dragon. You'll take a minimum of 500 Damage next turn. Probably more"

"I'll take my chances Ashton," Ryou said with uncharacteristic confidence.

Morganna smirked. _'Interesting. Ryou seems to be growing braver than I last remembered. Dueling him might actually be fun. Of course, he's not good enough to beat Ashton so it would have to be a pick up duel.'_

"I'll have my Violet attack your new Rose Token!" The monster snapped her fan forward. Vines raced across the ground, snaking toward the Rose Token.

**Ashton: 3400**

"Since she inflicted battle damage I get to Special Summon an Archfiend Weed Token to the field!' (0/500) A small thorny black weed appeared on Ryou's field while a rose appeared on Ashton's. (800/800)

"And this means that one of Violet's other effects comes into play. As long as she is on the field, all my Plants gain 500 attack for each Archfiend Weed on the field."

**Solar Flare Dragon 550**

**Fire Princess 450**

**Rose Token 800**

**Archfiend Bouquet Wyvern 2500**

**Rose Archfiend 1600**

**Violet Archfiend 2300**

**Archfiend Weed Token 0**

Ryou grinned. "Now I think I feel like normal summoning a monster. Come on out, Cheshire Fly Trap in defense mode!" (500/500) A smiling cat appeared on the field. Vines wrapped around its green fur. More green vines appeared when Black Garden kicked into effect. (250/500) But Violet Archfiend helped out a bit. (750/500)

A Rose Token appeared on Ashton's side of the field. "Now my cat's effect activates. When a monster is Special Summoned to your side of the field, I get to destroy a card you control. So say good bye to your Solar Flare Dragon!"

A giant Venus Fly Trap burst forth from the ground and swallowed the dragon whole. "Your move, Ashton."

The older duelist drew. "Wow, that was impressive, but, I'm sorry Ryou. I activate Lightning Vortex. By discarding the final card in my hand I can destroy every monster on your field."

Ryou cast his gaze downward as he instantly did the math.

"I switch my Fire princess into attack mode and attack you directly with both monsters."

**Ryou: 50**

Thorns pierced his flesh and flames cleansed his skin. "I-I I draw!"

He looked at his new card. "Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards." He reached for another two cards. "And I'll use Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two."

In the audience, someone's cell phone began to ring, playing an awesome rock song that matched Ryou's mood perfectly. "I activate Miracle Fertilizer. Once per turn I can give up my chance to normal summon a monster and Special Summon a Plant from my grave instead. If that Plant leaves the field then this card is destroyed though. Now, I want to bring back my Wyvern, but his effect won't let me Special Summon him except through Fusion or his own effect. So I'll bring back my Archfiend Violet. (1800/1700) Black Garden tentacle raped the new flower and gave birth to a Rose Token. (800/800)

Violet's attack dropped, but went up thanks to all the plants in Ryou's graveyard. (1200/1700) "Next I'll use Tentacle Whiplash! I choose one Level 5 or higher Plant Type monster. Then he gets to attack every monster you control so long as nothing else attacks this turn. And finally, I activate the Spell Card Selfish photosynthesis! I choose one Plant on the field. All other Plants lose 500 attack and she gets those attack points instead. The downside would normally be that no other Plants could attack. But I don't think that's a problem. Now go, attack the Rose Tokens! "

The familiar vines stretched forward and ensnared the Rose Tokens, taking away the last of Ashton's Life Points.

**Ashton: 0**

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

**Author's Notes: I tried to come up with new ways for Ryou to draw and I couldn't help but be reminded of all the Pot of Weed jokes my friends used to make.**


	28. Montage Rush III Blast Through Mix

**Disclaimer: These things get annoying but I don't want to be sued**

**So I'll quickly say I don't own GX for the twenty eighth time**

**Ra I swear these things ruin my mood**

**Now let's get things rolling with a chapter of mine**

**Author's Note: I'm mixing manga with anime…sorry but I want to….**

**~.x.X.x.~**

"He won!" Morganna gasped. "Ryou actually beat Ashton!" Her mouth twisted in shock. _'The next round might actually be a good one after all. But first of all I need to take care of Isamu.'_

The audience erupted into a chorus of similar surprise. "No way, that was amazing. I knew he was good, but that good? Awesome!"

Ryou broke out in a sweat as he fell backwards. "Hahahahahahahaha!" He laughed hysterically.

"Umm, are you okay Ryou?" Nayuta asked as she stepped forward.

"Hahaha."

"I'll take that as a no."

**. . . **

Birds happily chirped as they flew through cheery blue skies.

Emi and Eirin gazed helplessly into each other's eyes. They did not approve of the birds' happiness. Emi scowled when she heard the joyful noise.

"Are you sure this information is accurate?" The lunatic princess asked.

Emi nodded. "Yes, I know it's hard to believe. But this is exactly what the Organization plans to do."

"This is bad," Eirin sighed. "But if they're meeting at the abandoned dorm right now, I guess we better pay them a visit."

"We can't let them summon a Duel Spirit now. It'll wreak too much havoc and cause mass panic." Emi turned and marched away. Eirin followed.

- - -

_ "Y-you can't stop us now! Our plan's already in effect. While the tournament is going on, all the students are distracted, a few members of the Organization will be busy summoning a Duel Spirit to terrorize the campus," a young brown haired Obelisk First Year quaked in fear as Emi stood over him. "It's all part of our plan.'_

- - -

"So the Organization really likes messing with people's heads huh?" Eirin inquired. "It's hard to believe that losing a single duel to them can be so devastating."

"Yeah, dueling is such an important part of our society that some people say you won't be able to get anywhere in life if you can't duel. For most of us, dueling is our everything. If you lose a duel you lose hope, you can start to feel worthless. The Organization thrives on those feelings of inferiority. They plant it in others, they watch the crops grow, and then they reap their rewards."

They ventured deep through the forest. The thick treetops filtered out most of the sunlight leaving only stray strands to illuminate the path.

"Well, we're here," Eirin noted. She looked at the abandoned dorm.

Its dusty walls dared them to enter. The door yawned open slowly, nonchalantly inviting them in to their fate.

**. . .**

A man with multi-colored hair sat at a table eating a bowl of ramen noodles. Blonde hair framed his head while red bordered black on his head. He wore a black sleeveless shirt and black jeans.

"We should have met at a burger shop," he complained to the man at his side.

The other man gave a scowl as he shifted his gaze from the food to the first man. "Quit whining. Do you think I'm enjoying it here? I'm the CEO of one of the largest companies in the world. I have the finest chefs in all of Japan serving me on my staff and you ask me to meet you here for lunch. We should have met at my house."

"Let time I went there your little brother tried to poison me.*****" Yugi pointed out.

"How many times are you going to make me apologize?******" Kaiba complained.

"Hello, Yugi, Kaiba, where is everyone else?" Ryou Bakura interrupted.

"Ryou I didn't see you there," Yugi apologized. "How are you?"

"I'm fine; I'm wondering where everyone else is." He lied. _'No need to tell them about you just yet.'_

Yugi took a sip of water before answering. "Rebecca's busy researching the effects of Synchro Monsters on the Metagame in different countries. Right now, she's in France. She said she wanted to come but couldn't make it. Jonouchi and Mai are taking their kids to Disneyland in America," he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Mokuba's off at a Capmon tournament," Kaiba explained.

"Ryuji's at a DDM tournament that happens to be going on at the same time," Yugi noted. "It's kind of funny really. Honda just got married and he's off on his honeymoon."

"Bloody Hell am I out of the loop. _Honda got married!_" Ryou Bakura exclaimed. "Who?"

"Miho Nosaka," Yugi answered.

"Who?"

"Ribbon."

"Who?"

"She's a girl we used to be friends with. Then one day she abruptly vanished from our lives. She had a major crush on you. She played Monster World with us."

"Who?"

"You can probably just look her up." Yugi moved on. "Anyway, Anzu is starring in a Broadway musical. I think it was called _Duel of Justice _or something. I think that covers everyone."

As Yuu listened, he could barely maintain his silence. _'Get to the good part already. Why are you three meeting?'_

Kaiba smiled. "Thanks for coming, you two," it didn't sound very sincere. "I wanted to discuss something very important with you both. The Duel Academy Twilight Festival."

**. . .**

Nayuta watched over Ryou as he sat in a comfortable red couch in the hallway. "They saod they'd put off the next duel until you're feeling better. So the audience is taking another break. Are you feeling better?"

"A little, haha," Ryou erupted into a fit of giggles. "Where is Hikaru?"

"She said she's sorry to leave but she wanted to check on Naota." Nayuta sat next to Ryou, sinking into the couch. "Want a snack? I couldn't finish this," she offered her friend a chocolate granola bar.

The smell of chocolate tempted Ryou until he caved in. "Thanks Nayuta."

**. . .**

Sammy sobbed into his hands as he drew his knees close to his body. "I can't take it anymore. The duels aren't fun anymore. I'm so busy I don't even have time to play with you."

Robert offered a smile. "Don't worry, things will get better soon." He activated his Duel Disk. "Why don't we duel right here, right now?"

"I don't want to, achoo," the drifting dust tickled his nose and made Sammy sneeze. "It's pointless." He wiped his runny nose with his sleeve.

Darkness crowded the room of the abandoned dorm. Thin strips of light shot through slits in the window but died without any accomplishments. They fell into the corner, revealing nothing.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Open the damn door or I swear to Kaguya I will break it down."

"Shit, it's the Lunatic Princess!" Robert panicked.

"Yeah and I brought a friend with me," Eirin called back. With a swift kick, she knocked the door over. It creaked slowly as it fell in.

"What are you doing here?" Robert demanded.

"It is not us who should answer that question," Emi countered. Her cape billowed in the wind. "For you are the ones wishing to spread despair to the hearts of others. For that, I cannot forgive you. Now let us through so we can stop the ritual."

"Sorry," Robert growled. "We were instructed to stop anyone who got in the way, so let's duel!"

"I-I'll duel too!" Sammy said as he dried his eyes. "I'll take on the Lunatic Princess, you duel Emi."

Robert drew five cards.

**"DUEL!" **The four shouted.

**Robert: 4000**

**Emi: 4000**

**Sammy: 4000**

**Eirin: 4000**

"I summon Luckless Rabbit," Robert narrated as his bunny materialized.

"So we both flip a coin. We take 1000 damage if it's wrong. I call heads."

"I call tails," Robert said in spite. Both coins landed on heads, dealing the duelist 1000 points of effect damage. "I play two facedowns and end my turn!"

**Robert: 3000**

The field transformed to Eirin's battleground**.**

Sammy drew his sixth card. "Sorry Eirin, but I can't let you pass. Everybody I counting on me!" His eyes shed tears of desperation. "I summon Undeat Gumo in attack mode." (2200/0) A black and green spider with rotting flesh burst forth from the ground. "As you know, most Level 4 monsters with this much attack have a downside, but Undeat Gumo's. He also comes with a powerful effect. Once per turn he can revive a Zombie from the grave. If I use this ability then I flip a coin."

"Let me guess, you lose half your Life Point's if you call it wrong," Eirin ventured.

"Correct. Now, I need to use this ability or he can't attack." The boy continued. "But that's okay because the Special Summoned monster gets to attack that turn and usually helps to even the scores out even if I call the coin wrong."

"Still seems a little unfair to me. It seems like too small a price to pay for both revival and a high attack." Eirin waited for Sammy's move.

"I play Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two. "Next, I play every Zombie users favorite way to draw. Go, Card of Safe Return! Now I'll use my spider to revive the monster I just discarded! Come on out, Zombie Murder Force!" (2100/0) Three zombies with rotting flesh and tattered jeans appeared on the field. A coin flipped through the air. "I predict tails," Sammy said.

The coin obeyed his prayer.

"Now my Card of Safe return let's me draw." Sammy smiled. "And I activate Undeat Massacre! This card let's me raise a zombie from the grave so long as it doesn't activate attack this turn. So I'll bring out Zombie Master!" (1800/0)

Eirin smirked. "Draw your card if you really think it will help."

Sammy angrily tore his next card from his deck. "I release Undeat Gumo and Zombie Murder Force to Special Summon the Puppeteer of the Dammed." (0/0) A creepy puppet made of rotting wood slowly rose from the ground. It had blonde hair and a single red eye. It wore a white vest over a blue shirt and matching blue shorts.

"Once per turn I can revive a Zombie from the grave. That Zombie's attack becomes 0 until my next standby phase and his effect is negated until then as well. My Puppeteer, however, gains that Zombie's attack until the end phase of this turn."

The puppeteer began playing with what looked like a wooden puppet shaped like Zombie Murder Force. Suddenly, that very card burst forth from the ground, and Sammy drew a card. (0/0)

Eirin tapped her foot impatiently. "Next I use Zombie Master's effect. By discarding a monster from my hand, I may revive a level 4 or lower Zombie. So, I discard one to bring back Undeat Gumo (2200/0) and draw a card. Next I activate his effect to bring back the Zombie I discarded, and draw another card." A zombie with an axe in both hands quickly jumped up from the earth. "Say hello to Zombie Homocide!" (1700/0) "I set three cards face down and I end my turn and let his effect activate. During my endphase you take 300 damage per Zombie I control."

Zombie Homocide jumped forward and slashed at Eirin with his axe.

**Eirin: 2500**

Eirin smiled. "Are you read for the lunacy? My One Turn Kill begins now! I summon Lunarian Vampire!" (1300/1700) "She's a beautiful pale skinned vampire with long black hair and an elegant red dress. What more could a person ask for? Well her effect for starters. As long as she has no phase counters on her, she reduces the attack and defense of all non Lunarians by 300. The all those points go to her." (2800/3200) She licked the long black scythe gripped in her hands.

"No, no way!" Sammy gasped as the monster's attack soared.

"Next I activate Shield and Sword, flipping each monster's attack and defense!"

"No way, all my Zombies have 0 Defense."

"And that brings my Vampire to 3200 attack. Not quite enough to destroy you just yet. Until I activate Lunatic Dance Shuffle! This reduces the attack of one Lunarian by 1000 and lets me discard any number of spells to let the Lunarian attack that many monsters. So I get rid of the three Spells in my hand to let her attack three monsters!"

Lunatic Vampire bounded forward and swirled her scythe through the air. Her hypnotic spinning tore the Zombies to shreds.

**Sammy: 0**

Emi drew hr card. "I will now demonstrate to you why I am sometimes known as the Shinigami of the Cards. I play the Spell Card Vanishing Light! This card forces us to both to discard a Light type monster in our hand. If you don't have a light type monster, you must discard your entire hand and draw four cards." Emi slipped a card in the grave.

"I hate this spell," Robert moaned as he threw his hand away and drew four new cards. "Next I activate Breaking Light! This card let's me Special Summon a light type monster in my grave. The downside is that you have to special summon one as well. So I bring back my Chronocide Angel!" (0/0)

A beautiful armored angel rose from a beam of light.

"I summon Gambling Honey!" (1700/700) A blonde in a black dress appeared. "When she appears on the field I can remove from play the top card of my deck and put it face down. When you activate a spell or trap or summon a monster, I reveal that card to both of us. If it's the same type as the card you just played, I gain 1000 Life Points and add it to my hand. If not, I take 500 damage and send it to the grave." Robert removed the next card.

"I activate Inferno reckless Summon, bringing two more Chronocide Angels out."(0/0)

"Dammit, I only have one Honey!" Robert complained.

Emi just have an awkward half smirk as she narrowed one of her eyes. "I use Pot of Greed to draw two more cards!"

Robert revealed his card, "Dammit, it's my second Rabbit. So I take 500 damage."

**Robert: 3500**

"Now I activate Chronocide Angel's first effect. I can discard any number of Spells from my hand to increase her attack by 1000 for each. So I get rid of the three Spells in my hand to raise one Chronocide Angel's attack by 3000."

The middle angel suddenly grew a lot brighter. "Now, I hate using such a cruel effect, but what must be done, must be done. I use her second effect; releasing one Light Type monster I control to raise her attack by a further 500." (3500/0) Emi pointed to her other Angel. "Now I shall allow my second Chronocide Angel to use her third effect. I can release a Chronocide Angel and select a Light-Fairy monster on the field with an original attack equal to or less than the released Angel's current attack. The wording might be odd, but it allows these angels to work well together. So by releasing one Chronocide Angel the other can attack you directly! Go, Mugen Death Flare!"

A giant beam of light fell on Robert from above.

**Robert: 0**

Robert fell to his knees. Emi and Eirin didn't even bother looking back.

**. . .**

Ryou smiled. "I feel better now, thanks," Ryou told Nayuta.

"Well then, I suppose we should head back to the dome and let everyone know." Ashton responded.

"Yeah, everyone's waiting for Isamu vs. Morganna. They all know what she's capable of, but Isamu lost before he had much of a chance to show off. Honestly I'm cheering for him to win." The girl pouted.

"Still feeling upset that you lost?" Ashton asked.

"I can't believe I lost to a brat like her, it makes me so angry!"

The trio walking toward the Duel Dome arena.

Isamu watched with a smirk. _'I hope I can beat Morganna so I can duel him in the next round, he looks like a fun opponent.'_

Morganna ignored Isamu's confident gaze. _'I simply need to beat him and move on. I just hope that kid doesn't have any tricks up his sleeve. I need to win this tournament.'_

**. . .**

Two duelists tapped their feet as Emi and Eirin ran toward them. "Looks like those two weren't enough to stop you. But don't worry, we will be." He wore an Obelisk blue uniform and had messy brown hair.

"So, Adlai, how about you take on Eirin while I crush Emi?" Suggested the girl. She wore a Ra Yellow uniform and had long blonde hair with bangs that split onto opposite sides of her head."

"Sure, Jahel." Adlai agreed.

**"Let's duel!"**

**Emi: 4000**

**Eirin: 4000**

**Adlai: 4000**

**Jahel: 4000**

Eirin's lunar Duel Disk kicked into gear. "Sorry Adlai, but we don't have the time to fool around. I activate Stone Begging Bowl of Buddha." The stone bowl span around before her. "Now I get to puck up cards whenever I take damage outside of battle. Next I activate Tremendous Fire. You take 1000 Damage and I take 500!"

**Adlai: 3000**

**Eirin: 3500**

Eirin followed up with her Bowl's effect. "Look, my next card is Moonlight Ribbon. Both layers take 300 damage when this card is activated. Then afterward, we both get to Special Summon a Level 4 or Dark Monster from our hand, if we have any."

**Adlai: 2700**

**Eirin: 3200**

"I don't have any Dark Monsters, you?"

"I summon The Thirteenth Grave in attack mode." (1200/900) Adlai said as his skeleton appeared.

"Now I get to draw and reveal the next card of my deck." Eirin showed a trap card. "I don't want it so I'll discard it. Or perhaps I just want it there in my grave? I activate the Spell Card Trapped Again. I can choose one Trap in my graveyard and set it on the field. I'll set another card and now I end my turn." Eirin smiled. _'When I activate a Trap set by my Spell, I take 1000 damage It'll let me use the Bowl again.'_

_'That card was a Magic Cylinder, so I better be careful.' _Thought Adlai. "I normal summon Ancient Brain!" (1000/700) The card looked like a brown bearded fiend with a large brain resting on his head. Purple wings folded against its back. "I activate the Spell Card All Consuming Darkness! I can Special Summon a Fusion monster by removing from play Dark Monsters on my side of the field! So I fuse my two monsters to bring out Ancient Archfiend- Nightlance!" (1900/700) This card looked like a skeleton with purple wings and Ancient Brain's brain. He carried a pointy black lance. "Since I summoned him with All Consuming Darkness, I get to remove from play a Dark Monster in my hand. Then the Fusion Monster gains its attack until the endphase!" Nightlance's attack shot up to 4200. "Next I Special Summon the monster Dark Aura!" (1900/300) A black haired miko took a stand. "She can only be Special Summoned if I have three to five Dark Monsters removed from play." Adlai reached for his next card. "Dimension Fusion! I pay 2000 Life Points and we both get to Special Summon as many removed from play monsters as possible."

Adlai watched as his three removed monsters returned.

**Adlai: 700**

"I activate Just Desserts." Eirin announced. "This card deals you 500 damage per monster on your field!"

**Adlai: 0**

"Da-dammit! No!"

Emi waited for her opponent to make his first move.

"I won't lose," Jahel vowed.

"I set two cards facedown and end my turn," Emi said quickly.

"I summon Gene Warped Warwolf!" Jahel said with a smile. "Next I activate the Spell Card, Warwolf's Fangs!"

"Warwoild again? Does everyone have that card" Eirin moaned.

"I activate Ring of Destruction. I attach it to your wolf and blow it up, we both take 2000 damage, but then I chain Barrel Behind the Door to negate the 2000 damage I take and give it to you."

**Jahel: 0**

"T-that's not even fair," Jahel said as she slumped to the ground.

Eirin and Emi moved on.

**. . .**

Doki doki! Doki doki!

Isamu's heart pounded.

Mr. Ayanami took the mike once more. "Let the final match of the semi-finals begin!"

**. . .**

*** Actual event in the manga.**

**** I made this up. Kaiba never apologized for any of his or Mokuba's attempts to murder Yugi and his friends. Wait, no, I think he might have faked it once. Kaiba is actually pretty damn good at _pretending _to be nice.**

**Anyway let me know if you want me to explain the Undeat joke. ^^**

**Well time for more author's notes.**

**1) I apologize if Chronocide is too strong. I mean, it does have a ton of effects. It's Level 8 though, in case you're wondering.**

**2) Undeat Gumo- Yeah…let's just assume it's one of the cards sealed away by I2. **

**3) Sorry for all the curbstomp duels. I know one back and forth duel os more entertaining than ten curb stomp duels, but occasionally I need to show off a character's abilities. Anyway this was all supposed to lead into the main duel of Isamu versus Morganna but it went overboard without me realizing it.**

**4) Next chapter should focus on Isamu vs. Morganna then Eirin and Emi each get a duel.**


	29. The Raven's Cry the Warrior's Might

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX or .hack**

**Author's Note: Things are about to get very **_**weirdER**_**, very soon.**

**Thanks to Ghost for the Twilight Festival idea**

**Also, only two duels this time, Emi gets to duel next chapter..damn my plans never work out **

**Anyway I just really love Isamu vs Morganna's duel**

**}-[---]-{**

Eirin activated her Duel Disk. "So just how many more of there are you in here?"

Her opponent cracked her neck by rolling her head around. "Just Daisuke. I hear he's waiting for a rematch with Emi. So I feel bad for disappointing him, but you two aren't going any further."

She had flowing brown hair with bangs split into three pieces. Two worked to frame her head while the third fell between her eyes. The Obelisk Blue student smiled at Eirin.

"Sorry, but I'm going to beat you, and then Emi will crush Daisuke. _Again."_

"Shut up and duel."

Eirin grabbed her sixth card. "So Lisa, have you ever dueled against an alternate victory condition deck before?"

"No, why? I don't see how it's much different from a normal duel. I'll still summon my monsters and crush you like normal." She gently rubbed the cards between her fingers. _'This has to be one of the best hands I've ever drawn.'_

"Well the thing is, I could end up winning from begin. When you have 25000 Life Points and I have 100, I can draw the cards I need to play to win. So be careful. Any turn could be your last and you'll never see it coming."

"Sh-shut up. Stop acting like you're better than me," Lisa shook in fear.

"To begin I'll use Pot of Greed. Then, I activate the Continuous Spell Card Swallow's Seashell! If I have no monsters on my field I can Special Summon a Lunarian from my deck!"

"T-that's no fair," Lisa gasped.

"Shut up. It let's you Special Summon a monster from your deck as well. So anyway, I pick Lunarian Rabbit!"(1200/600) The cute white rabbit began nibbling on the virtual grass.

"Can my monster be facedown?" Eirin nodded. A set card appeared on Lisa's field.

"Now I activate Mochi Pounding! This card summons a Lunarian Mochi Token to the field!" (500/500 Defense Mode) "Now I'll activate Polymerization to fuse the Maiden of Moonlight in my hand with the Rabbit on my field to Special Summon Lunarian Archer!" (1800/1200) The beautiful archer appeared on the field. "Now I release the Lunarian Mochi Token on my side of the field and my Archer inflicts 700 points of damage to you."

The Mochi Token turned into a beam of light and took the form of an arrow. The archer shot it directly at Lisa's heart.

**Lisa: 3300**

"Now I activate Fusion Recovery! Now I can take back the Polymerization and Maiden of the Moonlight in my grave. Now I use Polymerization again to fuse my Maiden of the Moonlight with the Lunarian Swordsman in my hand to summon Lunarian Guardian!" (2100/1400) A beautiful girl in a pink kimono floated down on a beam of light from the moon. Her long black hair stayed up in a ponytail. She carried a sharp and deadly katana in her hands. "As long as I control her, all Lunarians on the field gain 300 attack!"

**Archer- 2100**

**Guardian- 2400**

"I activate Jeweled Branch and end my turn."

Lisa drew. "Now, if you have fewer cards than me during your draw phase, you get two cards, right? Hah, like I care. All I need is to draw one Heavy Storm to shut your deck down." The Organization member tossed a card onto her field. "I summon Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner in defense!" (1000/1000) The blonde in white robes glared at Eirin. "I set one card and end my turn, so she sends the top 3 cards of my deck to the grave," Lisa grinned.

"Lightsworns huh?" Eirin drew two cards. "Looks like this duel is all about luck now. Who will get what they need first?" Mochi Pounding burst away like a broken window falling to pieces." I have no Lunarian Rabbits, so my Mochi Pounding destroys itself. "Now I'll attack your Lightsworn with my Guardian!'

Lunarian Guardian ran on a stream of moonlight. She leaned forward as her sword sailed through the air. She cut through Lightsworn Summoner like bamboo. "By the way, piercing."

**Lisa: 1900**

"I swear you'll pay for that!" Lisa growled.

"Now I'll my have Archer to attack your other monster!" Lunarian Archer leapt into the sky. Her silhouette eclipsed the moon. A beam of moonlight shot down and shattered the face down monster."

A white wolf appeared on Lisa's field. "Ryko, Lightsworn hunter. She destroys one card on the field, so say bye to your Jeweled Branch!"

The Impossible Request fell apart.

"Now I send three cards from my deck to the grave!"

"I end my turn," Eirin stated. She waited for Lisa to go.

"I activate my face down trap, Glorious Illusion to revive my Gargonith, Lightsworn Dragon!" (2000/1600) The mighty silver dragon leered at Eirin. "He gains 300 attack for every Lightsworn in my grave with a different name. And I already have five!"

Eirin cringed. _'That is not good.'_

Lightsworn Dragon's attack rose to 3500. Lisa's field spell zone flipped open. "I activate Realm of Light!" A glorious palace appeared around them. Lush greenery decorated the palace grounds. Eirin could almost smell the fresh grass. "Whenever a card is sent from my deck to my grave, it gains a Shine Counter. All Lightsworns gain 100 attack for each Shine Counter on it."

Lisa grabbed another card. "I summon Jenis, Lightsworn Mender in defense!" (300/2100) A young maiden appeared. "Now my Dragon will attack your Archer!"

The creature's mouth opened and unleashed a silver stream of destructive energy.

**Eirin: 2600**

"I end my turn and send five cards to my graveyard. Three from my dragon and two from my trap, so that makes 2 Shine Counters for my Field Spell!" All three Lightsworns gained 200 attack points. "Now, I just sent two new Lightsworns to the grave, so my Dragon gains 600 extra attack. To add to that, I sent Lightsworn Saber to the grave, activating its effect, I get to equip it to a Lightsworn I control and raise its attack by 700, so I'll give it to my dragon!" (5000/1600)

"Oh by the way, Mender's effect activated during the end phase if I lost cards because of a Lightsworn. So I steal 500 Life Points from you."

**Eirin:2100**

**Lisa: 2400**

Eirin grabbed a single card from the top of her deck.

"Looks like Judgment isn't the only dragon I need to watch out for." Eirin sighed. "Too bad for you I have just what I need to kick you back to Osiris Red! I activate Lunatic Eclipse. This card can only be activated when I have less Life Points than you do. I choose one monster on your side of the field and it gains attack points equal to the difference of our Life Points. So I pick your dragon!"

"You're giving it 300 extra attack points?" (5300/1600)

"The boost only lasts this turn, but if I can destroy your card, then I gain Life Points equal to its attack!" Eirin grabbed her spell card. "Go, Graceful Charity!"

Everyone knew the routine. Draw three cards and discard two. "Now I activate the Spell Card, Lunatic Sonata! By removing from play Fusion Material monsters in my grave, I can Fusion Summon a Lunarian Fusion Monster. So I remove Maiden of the Moonlight and Lunarian Bull to bring out Lunarian Striker!" (2200/1600) He resembled a tall man in dark armor. The helmet looked like a bull's head. A red cape trailed behind him. "I can remove from lay a Lunarian in my grave to have him gain attack equal to half the attack of a monster you control." She grabbed a card from her grave and watched her monster's attack soar. (4850/1600)

"Hah, that still isn't enough."

"Well he does gain an extra 300 from my Guardian!" (5150/1600)

"Still not e~nough," sand Lisa.

"I still haven't normal summoned," Eirin smiled at the last card in her hand. "I activate Wild Nature's Release. Now my Lunarian Striker gains attack equal to his defense." (6750/1600) "Attack that dragon!"

Lunarian Striker pulled his fist back and punched with all his mighty. A wave of energy shot through the air, taking the shape of a bull. It trampled over the dragon.

**Eirin: 7400**

**Lisa: 950**

"Your move," Eirin waited.

Lisa smiled a she grabbed her next card. "I activate Lightsworn Healing! This card gives me 200 Life Points for each different Lightsworn in my grave and I have eight!"

**Lisa: 2550**

"Now I special summon Judgment Dragon from my hand!"

An eerie chorus played in Eirin's head as the giant dragon descended upon the battlefield.

"I activate her effect. By paying 1000 Life Points I can destroy all other cards on the field!"

Giant beams of light fell on the battlefield, blowing everything to pieces. "Next I equip her with Megamorph, doubling her attack points!" (6000/2600) "Attack her directly!"

A beam of light crashed down upon Eirin."

**Eirin: 1400**

**Lisa: 1550**

"Of course, my Dragon's attack is halved, but there are ways around that." She laughed. I activate Upstart Goblin to draw one card and give you 1000 Life Points."

**Eirin: 2400**

Eirin smiled. "So now I've got a few extra Life Points, though I doubt they'd do much good against a Judgment Dragon with Megamorph." She reached for his next card. _'So, no cards on my field, none in my hand, looks like I need a Top –Decking miracle!'_

"I activate the Spell Card _The Cow that Jumped_. So I can take a Lunarian card from my deck and add it to my hand. And I normal summon my Lunarian Moon Goddess Selene!" (1600/0) "Once per turn I can remove from play one Lunarian in the grave and choose Spell, Trap, or Monster card. I pick up the top card of my grave and show it to you. If I guessed correctly, I get to add it to my hand. If not, it goes to the graveyard. I'm picking Spell!"

Eirin's hand trembled with pleasure as she ripped the next card from her grave. "I use the Spell Card Riryoku. I steal one half of your Dragon's attack and give them to my Goddess."

The duel field shook with power as Judgment Dragon's attack cut down to 3000 and Lunarian Goddesses' soared to 4600. "Attack Judgment Dragon!"

Eirin and Emi once more walked on.

**- - -**

Yuu quietly used his chopsticks to shovel his unagi into his mouth. _'The Twilight Festival sounds really interesting; I wish I could attend it.'_

"So," Ryou Bakura began. "You want to do a Special Duel Festival and you're inviting me to it? I understand you inviting Yugi. We all know that you'll never be happy until you beat him in a duel and you use every chance you can to challenge him. But why me?"

"While it's obvious that I would have won our duel had you not run away like a coward, I have to admit that you are one of the better duelists I've faced. I can't remind the world that I'm the greatest duelists ever by crushing cockroaches."

'_Ewww, not the best analogy to use during lunchtime,' _Yuu thought.

"Ideally I wanted all of Yugi's friends to be there when I crushed him, but this will do fine," Kaiba said with a smile.

"So what exactly is the Twilight Festival?" Ryou asked.

"It's where I'll show off my newest card by tearing everyone to shreds." Kaiba stated. '_I'll show the all the power of the Blue Eyes Twilight Hydra.'_

Yuu smiled.

Ryou's eyes suddenly jumped toward the boy. "Yuu, is that you?"

"Hi Ryou-sama," Yuu said nervously.

"Did you follow me here?"

"Ehehehehe," he quickly got on the ground and bowed. "I'm sorry, I noticed that you seemed to be in a rush to meet someone so I followed you hoping for a chance to meet another legendary duelist.

Kaiba's face shifted into an affected smile. His happy public persona kicked in.

'_I hate it when Kaiba tries to act like a happy person to keep his public image up.' Yugi thought. 'It's creepy.'_

"It's nice to meet you, Yuu," Kaiba said with forced kindness.

'_Very creepy.'_

**}-[---]-{**

"May I make the first move?" Morganna asked. "I activate Hand Destruction." This card forces both of us to discard two cards and draw two new ones. "I activate Ookazi to deal you 800 damage!" Fireballs fell from the sky and set Isamu ablaze."

**Isamu: 3200**

"Now I summon Raven Blaster Akira!" (1400/1000) "I remove from play the Ookazi in my grave to raise her attack by 500 points! I'll set one card and end my turn." Morganna waited as her fiery red headed warrior sliced her naginata through the air. (1900/1000)

"I'll draw," Isamu immediately slipped his new spell into the graveyard. "Reinforcement of the Army will let me add a low level warrior to my hand. So I pick and summon Armed Samurai Ben Kei!" (500/800) "He gets an extra attack for every card equipped to him, so I think I'll start off with Dragonslayer. It may not do much of anything against a non-dragon, but at least he'll get an extra attack. Next, I equip him with Mage Power. Now he gains 500 attack for each Spell and Trap on my side of the field. "Net I'll use Pot of greed to draw two cards." Isamu smiled. "Just what I hoped for, I play Double Summon. This familiar little spell gives me an extra normal summon this turn, so I'll bring out Marauding Captain." The armored blonde captain plunged his sword into the ground and gave Morganna a defiant glare. (1200/400)

"Now you can summon a Level 4 or lower warrior from your hand. Not bad, if it's something like Command Night you can have an OTK." Morganna smiled. _'I forgot how much fun dueling could be. This is so tense.'_

"I pick Field Commander Rahz! He let's me choose a level 4 or lower warrior in my deck and move it to the top, so I'm moving that Command Night up there."

'_Not enough to beat Akira just yet, but if that last card is a spell or trap he just needs to put it face down.' _"Well, don't keep me waiting," Morganna said with a refreshing smile.

Nayuta's face fell in shock. _'Is she happy? Talk about bipolar.'_

"I activate the A. Forces, now all Warriors gain 200 attack points per Warrior I control."

"I hate that thing," Morganna admitted. "So, are you going to attack?"

**Armed Samurai 2600**

**Field Commander 2200**

**Marauding Captain 1800**

"As much as I'd love to FTK you I think I'll play it safe. Your move."

"Akira's effect activates and you take 800 damage!"

**Isamu: 2400**

"I activate my facedown Ghost of the Scarecrow; by discarding one spell in my hand I can draw one card." Morganna exchanged an unnecessary spell for a better card. "I activate the Spell Card Raven's Song. If I have a Raven Blaster on the field I can select a removed from play Spell and add it to my hand. So I pick Ookazi and activate it to deal you 800 points of damage!'

The barrage of fireballs hit him again.

**Isamu: 1600**

"Next I'll set one card facedown and activate Card of Demise. I get to draw until I have five cards in my hand and then five turns later I discard them all." Morganna's hand shot up to five cards. "I set two more cards facedown and switch my monster to defense mode. Next I activate Dian Keto the Cure Master to raise my Life Points by 1000."

**Morganna: 5000**

"Finally I'll summon a second Raven Blaster Akira from my hand and put her in defense mode." (1400/1000) "I'll remove from play the same Ookazi to give her the familiar effects." (1900/1000) "Your move!"

Isamu drew his card. He already knew it would be Command Knight. (1200/1900) Once the blonde beauty hit the field, all of Isamu's monsters gained an attack boost. "I want today it safe but I obviously don't have that luxury."

'_Dammit, if she has a Mirror Force or Negate Attack then I'm dead.'_

"Of course, my Command Knight gives all Warriors a 400 point attack boost."

**Command Knight 2400**

**Marauding Captain 2400**

**Field Commander Rahz 2800**

**Armed Samurai Ben Kei 3200**

'_A 3200 attack monster that can attack thrice in a battle phase? At least it isn't any weaker,' _Morganna gulped. "Bring it on," she dared playfully. _'This all depends on the order of the attacks. As well as on my next draw. I don't think I can win without a little luck.'_

"First of all, I attack your first Raven Blaster with my Command Knight!"

The female warrior charged into battle only to be blocked by an illusionary scarecrow.

"By removing Ghost of the Scarecrow from my grave, I can negate one attack and draw a card." Morganna tore off her next card desperately. _'Please be it.'_

"That seems a little broken, but, okay. I'll continue the attack with my Field Commander.' Rahz's blade tore through the first raven Blaster only for Marauding Captain to follow up. "My Captain will destroy your second."

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of applause.

"My armed Samurai Ben Kei still has three attacks left. So he'll attack you directly and deal 3200 points of damage!"

Morganna fought back a scream of pain as the sword cut through her.

**Morganna: 1800**

"I activate Raven's Tears!" Her purple trap card revealed itself. A black raven emerged and flew into the sky. Feathers fell behind it, marking its path. A single tear splashed on the ground.

Suddenly, a downpour of rain assaulted the players. Black feathers flew around them blocking out everything behind a wall of feathers.

"When I take 3000 or more damage from a single attack I can activate that card. We both take all the spells in our deck and grave and remove them from play."

"What?" Isamu gasped as cards spilled out of his deck.

Morganna searched her deck for all Spell Cards and grabbed a few from her grave.

"It won't do you any good, I still have two more attacks," Isamu reminded her. "Go, Armed Samurai! Direct attack number two."

"Not so fast, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon! I blast away your Mage Power. This drops your Samurai's attack down to 1700 and makes this your monster's last attack!"

The sword cut through her once more.

**Morganna: 100**

"My turn, draw," she said as she reached for her next card. Morganna's heart pounded furiously. "I activate the Graceful Charity I drew thanks to my Scarecrow, I draw three cards and discard two." She pressed a button on her Duel Disk, activating a face down card. "Call of the haunted will bring back one of the monsters I just got rid of. Say hello to Raven Blaster Zelkova!" (????/????) "His attack and defense are the number of my removes from play spells times 400!" The card ran forward and swung his scythe at Ben Kei. "Attack his armed Samurai, Tsukinoki no Mai!"

**Isamu: 0**


	30. Tournaments Trials IV HeartinDarknessMix

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX or XxXHolic or the like..or Code Geass**

**Author's Note: Crossover time, though it won't be much of anything major so I won't put it in the Crossover category**

**Maybe I should include some EirinxEmi……..**

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"So, it's almost time for the final duel," Nayuta said with a smile. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Ryou said. He blushed when Nayuta suddenly threw her arms around him. "Huh?"

"Don't lose to her okay?'

"I-I'll do my best."

'_Hahaha this should be fun.'_

"Huh?" Ryou looked around. "Did you hear someone?"

"No, why?" Nayuta answered.

"I must have been imagining things."

'_It feels good to finally be awake.'_

Ryou ignored the voice.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Hello, Emi, Eirin," Daisuke stood in the middle of the room. Golden runes decorated the red carpet, surrounding him in a circle of magic. The smell of burning incense attacked Emi worse than Kaiba's monster attacking one of Yugi's. Flames danced on the tips of four white candles placed in the cardinal directions. They whooshed in the quiet room.

"So you really think this is going to work?" Eirin asked. She observed the runes. Purple light bordered three of them while a purple light slowly lit up a fourth until it too showed a purple border.

"Yes, you see, the second the eight runes light up then the Duel Spirit of Demise-King of Armageddon. Of course, if you can beat me in a duel before then, the ritual will stop."

"Let me guess, you have a Stall Deck, don't you?" Eirin guessed.

"Do you take me for a coward? Hah!"

Emi activated her duel disk. "If it is a duel you wish for then so shall we duel. But I warn you I won't be going easy on you this time. I will show you the might of my true deck."

"And I'll show you the might of mine!"

Both players drew five cards.

**. . .**

Daisuke grabbed a sixth card. "I'll lead this duel." He grinned. "Oh look. I activate End of the World and discard one Demise King of Armageddon to summon another!" (2400/2000) "Now I'll set two cards and end my turn."

"Demise shall be your end," Emi promised. "Watakushi no turn, draw!" Emi examined her newest card. "I activate the Ritual Spell Card Bursting Light! This card allows me to Ritual Summon a normal or effect monster so long as it's a Light Fairy!"

"You can Ritual Summon a non-ritual monster?" Dasisuke gasped.

"I discard my Twin Angel of Light to Special Summon my Twin Angel of Darkness!" Emi placed the two monster cards on the field. "When either of them is Special Summoned I can Special Summon the other one from my graveyard," she explained. (0/0) and (0/0) One looked like a blonde angel in black robes while the other had black hair and white robes. "Next I'll release them both to normal summon Phoenixian Angel- Rin!" (2300/1900) Flames roared to life as a red haired angel stepped forward. Her red cloak trailed against the ground setting fire to whatever it touched. Suddenly, the fire died and left behind Twin Angel of Light." (0/0) "When normal summoned by releasing two fairies, my angel let's me Special Summon one of them to my field. Of course, I get to Special Summon my other one as well, thanks to the effect of my Twin Angels!" Twin Angel of Darkness appeared on the opposite side of Rin. "Next I'll activate the second effect of my Twin Angels. When they're both in attack mode, all other Fairies on the field gain 1000 attack. [**Rin: 3300**] "Attack Demise with Burning Light!"

A large beam of light fell from the heavens, engulfing Demise in its glorious rapture. "Sorry Emi, but I activate the Trap Card Blink Illusion! When you attack a monster I control, that monster gains 1000 attack points, but any battle damage you receive is halved."

Demise's axe cut through Rin's head.

**[Emi: 3950]**

"I activate the Spell Card Twilight Calling. I release a Light and Dark monster I control to Special Summon a Light or Dark monster from my deck so long as its original attack isn't more than either of the releases'. So I bring out Shield Angel in defense mode!" **[0/2000] **"I end my turn."

Daisuke drew. "I activate my face down spell card, Ritual Incense. I remove from play one Ritual Spell in my grave and one monster used in a Ritual Summoning and I can draw two cards. Now I pay 2000 Life Points to activate Demise's effect."

**[Daisuke: 2000]**

"And everything else on the field gets destroyed!" Beams of light and darkness shot up from the ground as the Earth tore apart. Rubble flew everywhere as Shield Angel blew a part in a deadly explosion.

"Shield Angel's effect activates, when she's sent to the grave by a monster effect, I gain 2000 Life Points."

**[Emi: 5950]**

"Well then first I summon Sin of Destruction." (1000/400) A small purple fiend popped up on the field. "Then, I'll just equip my Demise with Megamorph and double his attack to 4800. Attack her directly, Axe of Demise!"

Emi grunted as the axe dug into her body.

**[Emi: 1150]**

"Follow up, my Sin of Destruction!"

**[Emi: 150]**

"Now I'll release my Sin to destroy one card on the field, so say good bye Megamorph!"

While he had more Life Point's then Emi, the monster's attack gad fallen to 1200, but now it rose back to normal.

Another rune lit up.

Emi drew a card once more. Card of Sanctity let's us both draw until we have six cards in our hand!" Emi watched her hand reveal itself. "Now I'll activate two spell cards. First, Card of Safe Return! I know lots of people use it but it really is useful. Now I play Monster Reborn so I can bring back my Twin Angel Darkness and use her effect to revive Twin Angel of Light! Next I draw two card And I release my two angels for Chronocide Angel! **[0/0] **"Now by discarding four spells in my hand I can raise her attack all the way to 4000!"

"Wh-what? There's no way a card that powerful could exist!"

"Attack his Demise! Mugen Death Flare!"

A powerful ray of light absorbed Demise.

"Oh by the way, I'm raising her attack by a further 700 points with Rush Recklessly!"

**[Chronocide Angel: 4700]**

**[Daisuke: 0]**

"I can't believe it!" The flames extinguished and the runes vanished. Daisuke collapsed. "We were so close to out goal, and you stopped us. It's not fair. We couldn't even summon the King of Demise as planned."

"Quit whining and stand up. Walk toward the future. We still don't know what exactly the Organization is planning but here's the deal," Eirin offered Daisuke a hand. "Whatever your problem is, get over it. Magic is not the answer. Use your own two hands to build what you need. Walk forward on your own two feet. And if things look tough, lean on a friend or two."

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Yuu sat next to the legendary duelists and continued eating his unagi. "So are you thinking about attending Duel Academia next year?" Kaiba asked.

"I want to," Yuu admitted. "But I can't."

"If there's some sort of financial problem, KaibaCorp offers many scholarships," Kaiba explained.

"It's not that, it's hard to explain."

That's when the door opened again. "Yuu's friends are attending the school," explained the new arrival. He had short but cute black hair and piercing blue yes. He wore a black shirt and gym shorts.

"Hiromu," Yuu began, "What are you doing here?"

"_She _sent me on a mission." The new teen answered.

"What mission?" Yuu asked. He did not like the sound of things.

Hiromu smiled. He turned to Kaiba and spoke. "Now, I know you've been researching the super natural and I'm sure you've come across the stories. The tales of an almighty wish who ca grant any wish as long as you pay the price."

"The Space Time Witch," Kaiba inquired. "So you're on some sort of mission to find her. It's a waste of time. Even if there is some truth to the stories of magic in this world, she's nothing but a myth."

"Oh how wrong you are Se-chan," Hiromu said teasingly. Kaiba began to scowl. "I'm not here to find the Space Time Witch. I _work _for her. She says you three have wishes, and she's willing to grant them, for a price."

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Aiko watched it all on her television. She slowly nibbled on a granola bar.

Ryou shook nervously as he stepped toward the Duel Arena.

"I, I," Ryou could barely speak. The repeat of his anxiety had the crowd stumped. "I forfeit!" He said.

"Oh stop acting like such a coward," Morganna said as she rolled her eyes. "Think about all the people you've beaten on your rise to the top. They don't want to think they lost to some coward. They want to know that they've lost to someone skilled and talented. You owe it to them to do your best in this duel," Morganna said with a smile.

"Even if it won't be enough to win," she added. "Now shuffle your deck. I'm ready to get over with this already."

"O-okay," Ryou drew five cards. "Let's duel."

Ryou drew five cards while Morganna grabbed six. First I'll activate Cost Down! By discarding a card in my hand, all monster cards in my hand lose two levels. Next I'll follow up by normal summoning Raven Blaster Rio. (1400/300) I'll remove from play that Cost Down to activate her effect. You see, she'll not only gain 500 Attack points, she'll reduce the level of all monsters in my hand by one."

A short girl with grey hair appeared. She did a little dance and smiled.

"Next I activate Double Summon, allowing me to perform and extra normal summon this turn. So I'll bring out Raven Blaster Kallen!" (2600/1000) The newest Raven Blaster had red hair and wore a very moe school uniform with a yellow jacket and short skirt. "She used to be a Level 7 monster but now she's only Level 4. I'll set two cards and end my turn." Morganna rubbed her empty hands together.

Ryou drew his next card. "I activate the Field Spell card Red Garden!" Red vines began spreading like wildfire. Red grass sprouted from the ground and tall trees shot into the air. Red leaves tumbled through the air on their way to the ground. The winds began to whisper quietly. Ryou closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled the smells of nature, fresh dew rested on the tree leaves. The smell of fresh overturned dirt lingered in the air. _'I love the smells these Duel Disks can make. Everything smells so peaceful.'_

'_What do you mean "smells peaceful"?' _A voice questioned.

"Huh? Who said that?" Ryou asked suddenly.

"Ummm could you hurry up with your turn?" Morganna asked.

"Right, sorry," Ryou pushed the voice out of his head. "I activate the Spell Card Forest Rush! This let's me Special Summon up to three Level 4 or Lower Plant Type monsters from my hand. They all lose 1000 attack points and have their effects negated. Then at the end of the turn, they are destroyed. So I'm bringing out two cards, Abyss Flower and Gigantic Cephalotus." (750/400) and (1850/700) One card looked like an angry evil flower while the other card looked like a watermelon dragon. Both of their attacks fell by 1000 points. "Next I'll use my normal summon for the turn so that I can bring out my favorite tuner, Mia!" (200/200) A cute white kitten appeared on the field. "Next, I'll tune them all together to Synchro Summon Rose Knight Mia! But first, my Red Garden kicks in. Whenever one of us activates a spell, the other layer Special Summons a red Leaf Token to their field in defense mode. "

A large red leaf slowly fell onto Morganna's field. (0/800)

"And now I'll tune my three monsters!" Mia burst into three rings of light and surrounded the other two cards." In a sudden shift of light, the three vanished. A purple cat took their lace. She stood on two feet and her ears looked more like a rabbit's than a cat's. (2300/2000)

"When I successfully Synchro Summon her I can take control of one monster you control, so I pick your Token!"

The leaf slowly drifted to Ryou's side of the field.

'_What? Why go after the token? Does it have some sort of effect?' _Morganna watched in wonder.

"Next I activate Card of Sanctity!" Ryou announced.

"Sorry, but I activate the Trap Card, Card of Profanity! When you activate Card of Sanctity I can use this card so that I'll be the only one drawing cards!"

Morganna's hand shot up to six while Ryou's remained at zero.

'_No, I planned to use a Plant to activate my Rose Knight Mia's second effect! I could have destroyed her Token and attacked directly later on.' _Ryou took a deep breath. "I still have a trick or two up my sleeve."

A second leaf fell to Morganna's field. (0/800)

"Now I'll activate the Leaf Token's effect. I can pay 300 points to destroy it!" Ryou watched his leaf fall apart. "It may seem weird but it's one of the easiest ways to get rid of them when they're stuck on your field. See, they can't be destroyed by battle and can't be released to Advance Summon a monster."

**Ryou: 3700**

"And when the monster she took control of is destroyed, Mia's next effect activates. I offer her to Special Summon Rose Temptress Macha from my hand, deck, or graveyard!"

Rose Knight Mia burst apart into rose petals. The petals swirled through the air performing an elegant ballet. Suddenly they fell to the ground as a large rose bloomed. Rose Temptress Macha emerged from the tip of the rose. She looked like a strange cat with a large inverted rose for a body.

"When she's special Summoned I can take control of another of your monsters, so I'll puck Kallen." Rose petals rode the wind. They danced around Kallen, confusing and charming her. She tried to resist the temptation but couldn't do a thing. She slowly walked to Ryou's side of the field.

'_Macha, another one of the eight phases,' _the voice from earlier said.

'_Huh, another of the eight phases?' _Ryou asked in his mind. He heard nothing.

"I pay 500 Life Points," he announced. "To take control of another monster you control!"

**Ryou: 3200**

Rio slowly slid her feet across the grass as she walked toward Macha.

"Lucky for me my Token can't be destroyed in battle," Morganna noted. "Too bad, if you hadn't activated Card of Sanctity you might have had a First Turn Kill."

"I end my turn."

"So you have three monsters and I have a simple token." Morganna drew a card. "I activate the Spell Card Owner's Seal. All monsters return to their owners. The Raven Blasters snapped to their senses and returned to Morganna's side. Morganna's Leaf token floated toward Ryou. "Come to think of it I could have destroyed that thing first." She watched another Token appear on Ryou's side of the field. "Wow, your Field Spell is really annoying especially considering how many spells I have. But it doesn't matter really. I just need to pick my cards carefully. I activate Card of Destruction. I discard the five cards in my hand and get five more." Morganna exchanged her current hand for new cards. Ryou received a token. (0/800) "Next I activate Kallen's effect. I remove from play the Bait Doll in my graveyard and she gains 500 attack points!" (3100/1000) "Attack and destroy the Temptress!"

Kallen's skillful acrobatics had her soaring through the air like a ninja. One swift kick ended the existence of the Rose Temptress.

**Ryou: 3100**

"Now I activate Ghost of the Scarecrow. By discarding a Spell, I can draw a new card. And you get a Token." (0/800) "And I use Pot of Greed to draw two more cards and give you a fifth Token."

Ryou looked at his field. _'I won't be able to summon anything, but at least she can't attack me.'_

"I equip Kallen with Fairy Meteor Crush!"

Ryou gulped. "I-I draw!"

Ryou smiled with delight. "I pay 300 Life Points to destroy one token to make room for a new monster."

**Ryou: 2800**

"Then, I activate Reasoning. Call out a monster's Level! I'll reveal cards of the top of my deck until I get a monster, I can Special Summon it if it's of a different level than the one you specified."

"I say….four," Morganna guessed.

"So here we go," Ryou revealed a Spell. "It's a Spell Card, so we try again. This time it's a trap, that's no goof, another spell." He picked up a fourth card.

"Come on out, Lonefire Blossom in defense mode." (500/1400) A small plant sprouted out of nowhere. Morganna gained a Token. "So I just discard all the other cards and I use my new monster's effect to release one plant on my side of the field. I can do this once per turn and bring a new plant from my deck. So I get rid of one token to Special summon a second Lonefire Blossom in defense mode. Next I'll use _his_ effect to send another token to the grave and special summon a third Lonefire Blossom!"

Ryou smiled when he saw the three Lonefire Blossoms he controlled. "Now I'll release my first Lonefire Blossom to bring out Gigaplant! In attack mode!" (2400/1200)

The monstrous tree like creature towered over the field. "Now I'll pay 300 Life Points to destroy another Token!"

**Ryou: 2500**

"Now I'll Gemini Summon Gigaplant and use his effect to revive Lonefire Blossom!" (500/1400)

'_I'm glad he doesn't have Black Garden and Rose Flame out,' _thought the girl

Ryou smiled. "I'll offer my final Token to Lonefire Blossom." The leaf petal crumbled away. "Come on out, Gift Blossom!' (500/500)

A small red blossom appeared on Ryou's field. "I release her to activate her effect. Both players get to draw two cards!"

Ryou and Morganna both reached for new cards. "Next I activate the spell card Monster Reborn to bring back Mia from my graveyard." (200/200) Ryou smiled. "Now I'm tuning my Gigaplant to my Mia!"

'_Oh so you have another Synchro Monster in your deck?'_

'_Who-who are you?'_

Mia burst into three rings of light.

"Red flames burn with desire. Born of this passion a red rose blooms. Set into motion the gears of fate. Synchro Shokan! Destiny Rose Dragon!"

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note: It was either that or Red Rose Dragon…………people would kill me if I used Black Rose……**

**Anyway the next chapter is done, but I'm holding it for a little while......I want you guys to feel the cliffhanger.  
**


	31. Arriving in Darkness' Asylum

**Well, I seem to have writer's block so this might be it for a while.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh or GX or XxXHolic or anything or Touhou or .hack**

**Also, regarding the voice…yeah I could have set it up better but it was a spur of the moment thing…I realized this would actually work out better in the end**

**I hope I didn't mess up on calculating Zelkova's attack or Morganna's Life Points, I think there was a time I forgot to add to her Life Points because of Soul Absorption.  
**

**Err Tsuki, I hope you don't mind the tons of extra cards I've thrown into Ryou's deck, **

**. . .**

"Red flames burn with desire. Born of this passion a red rose blooms. Set into motion the gears of fate. Synchro Shokan! Destiny Rose Dragon!"

**(2100/2000)**

A red dragon appeared on the field. Thorns covered his body. Beautiful white petals covered it like a cloak.

'_Another flower, I should have known.'_

'_Who the __**hell**__ are you?' _Ryou demanded.

'_Wow, I don't think I've ever seen you angry before. I like this side of you. But don't focus that anger on me. Focus it on Morganna. Crush her. Crush her with your all your power.'_

"Once per turn I can discard a card from my hand to revive a Plant in my grave, so I bring back Gigaplant!" (2400/1200)

"The card I got rid of was Holy Weed."

"……Holy Weed?" Morganna questioned the sanity of the card's creator.

"By removing him from the grave I can normal summon another Plant Type monster this turn, as long as I've only normal summoned plants this turn. So I'll Gemini Summon my Gigaplant again!"

"Why? You don't have the room for another card!" Morganna could guess easily enough.

"I activate Destiny Rose Dragon's effect. By releasing a Plant I control, I get to target a monster on your side of the field and reduce its attack or defense by 1000!"

A Lonefire Blossom quickly vanished as Destiny Rose Dragon shot its vines at Kallen. (2100/1000)

"Next I'll use Gigaplant to revive the Lonefire Blossom in my graveyard. I'll use his effect to offer one of the other Blossoms and special summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias!" (2800/2600) The beautiful Camellias Princess bloomed onto the field. "Tytannial, attack Kallen!"

Í remove from play the Ghost of the Scarecrow in my graveyard to negate the attack and draw a card," Morganna announced. Tytannial formed a scythe in her hand and rushed forward. She swung and hit an eerie white scarecrow. "Then I'll just have Gigaplant follow up!"

Gigaplant lifted the helpless fighter into the air and slammed her back on the ground.

**Morganna: 3700**

"Now my dragon will attack your Rio!"

"Not so fast, I activate the Trap Card A Murder of Crows! When a Raven Blaster is destroyed in battle and you try to attack another one, I can negate the attack and destroy the attacking monster!"

"I'll use my Princess' effect. I can release a Plant I control to negate the effect of a card that targets."

A murder of crows began mercilessly pecking at the dragon, their caws annoyed the audience. A Lonefire Blossom erupted into a burst of light. The Princess of Camellias gathered the light into her hand and shot it at the crows and scaring them away.

Destiny Rose Dragon continued her assault. Vines ensnared Rio and tore her to bits.

**Morganna: 3500**

**Ryou: 2500**

"I end my turn."

Morganna drew a card and brought her hand up to nine. "You know, I hope you can find some way to get rid of my Tokens, because I rather like them here. I don't need that many spaces for monsters. In fact, I just need one for now. But first, let's get rid of that annoying Field Spell. I activate Nevermore Manor!" The garden began to wither and die as a dreary house rose in its place. Ryou could swear that he smelled stale air escaping from the open windows.

"Now I don't have to worry about giving you any tokens. But I'm getting off topic. I activate the Spell card Dian Keto from my hand. This gives me 1000 Life Points!"

**Morganna: 4500**

"Now I activate the Spell card Ookazi to deal you 800 Points of direct damage!"

Ryou let out a fierce cry of surprise as the fireballs flew at him. Surprisingly, they didn't hurt too much.

**Ryou: 1700**

'_You're going to be in trouble if you she gets Akira on the field.'_

'_If you won't tell me who you are then shut up. I mean, at least give me something to work with. Why are you here all of a sudden?'_

'_Perhaps it's because I was dormant up until now. Only through these intense duels have I been able to awaken. Perhaps not. One thing is for certain though. If I could have chosen a host, I would not have picked you. Someone as timid as you doesn't suit my needs.'_

"Next I summon Chaosrider Gustaph!" (1400/1500) The motorcycle-riding fiend appeared on the field. His engine hummed noisily and the smell of exhaust clogged the air. "I know it's odd to summon him so soon after activating my Raven Blasters' field spell, but I really do like his effect. I'll set two cards facedown and activate Soul Absorption! Now I gain 500 Life Points for every card removed from play. I'll use Gustaph to remove two spells in my grave and boost his attack by 300 for each. The boost only lasts until you end your turn, but it's enough for me." (2000/1500)

**Morganna: 5500**

Morganna pointed her finger out at Ryou's Gigaplant. "Attack him now."

"If you're going to activate some sort of spell could you please do it now so I can use my Tytannial's effect?" Ryou requested.

"Not happening Ryou-kun. I activate the Quick Play Spell Raven Trance! I remove from play one Spell in my hand to drains each of your monsters' attacks by 100 per removed from play Spell. And I count six!"

**Morganna: 6000**

All of Ryou's monsters lost 600 attack points and Chaosrider Gustaph drove right through Gigaplant without a care in the world.

**Ryou: 1500**

'_She has four times my Life Point's, I can't win,' _Ryou gasped.

'_Victory can still be yours, all you need to do is give in to the darkness in your heart.'_

'_The darkness? In my heart.'_

"I end my turn," Morganna announced. "Now, draw if you want. Quite frankly I'm disappointed with your performance so far. After what you pulled against Ashton, I thought you might actually be a threat. I guess I was mistaken."

"_**Shut up!"**_ Ryou roared. "I draw a card and activate the effect of Lonefire Blossom. It releases itself to Special Summon a second Gigaplant from my deck!" (2400/1200) "I'll Gemini Summon that Gigaplant and revive Lonefire Blossom with his effect."

'_Wow, right back where you were a turn ago. Think of something new or you're dead,' _taunted the voice.

'_Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!' _Ryou clutched his head in pain. "I release Lonefire Blossom again to Special Summon Wicked Root from my deck." (1300/0) "Then I'll release him for my dragon's effect. Chaosrider loses 1000 attack points!" (1000/1500) Familiar red vines wrapped themselves around Chaosrider Gustaph. Thorns cut into his skin and he let out a cry of pain.

"When he's released as the cost for a Plant's effect, my Root's effect activates. I get to choose a Spell in my graveyard and add it to the top of my deck and shuffle him back in at the same time. So I'm picking Card of Sanctity. Next I'll use Pot of Greed to draw two cards."

'_Looks like he'll be refilling his hand. This could be fun.'_

"Now I'll set one card face down and activate that Card of Sanctity I just drew so that we both draw until we have six cards!" Ryou quickly grabbed his newest cards. "First I activate Token Thanksgiving. This card destroys every Token on the field and gives me 800 Life Points for each!"

**Ryou: 3900**

"Now I'll activate Flooding of the Mad Plant! All face up Plants I control gain 300 attack per Plant in my graveyard. And I count nine, giving my two Plants a 2700 attack point boost."

**Gigaplant-5400**

**Tytannial- 5800**

"No, no way, that's impossible. There's got to be some sort of drawback, like, they get destroyed at the end of the turn." Morganna gasped.

"Indeed they do. But it doesn't matter. The duel will end before my turn does. Go, Destiny Rose Dragon, attack her monster!" The vines flew forward and slew Chaosrider."

"Now go, direct attack, Gigaplant!"

"I activate Heartbeat Impulse!" When you declare a direct attack that would reduce my life Points to zero I get to Special Summon a monster from my hand in attack position. It's destroyed at the end of the battle phase, but until then it gains 700 extra attack points. So I'm picking Raven Blaster Zelkova!" (????/????) "He gets 400 attack points for each Spell I have removed from play. Right now, I count six. (2400/2400) And then he gains 700 attack points from Heartbeat Impulse!" Morganna chuckled. "And the best part, you need to send one monster from your side of the field to the grave."*****

"I pick my Dragon," Ryou conceded. His dragon melted away.

Ryou did the math in his head. _'If she removes two more spells from play then it's,' _He paused.

"Continue the attack!"

"I remove from play two spells in my deck thanks to my Nevermore Manor. This gives Zelkova 600 attack from the manor and 800 attack from his own effect!"(Attack: 4500)

"And I gain Life Points from Soul Absorption!"

**Morganna: 5900**

Gigaplant tore through Zelkova like he wasn't there. "Now I'll end this, go, Tytannial. Direct attack!" Ryou smiled as the vines lashed out at Morganna. The girl smiled as well.

"I activate my Trap Card, Moon Tree Hacking! I can only activate this card when I have a Raven Blaster Zelkova in my graveyard. I can Special Summon one Raven Blaster from my hand and give him 200 extra attack points for each spell removed from play. It has to be in attack position so I'll still take some damage, but I'm fine with that."

Morganna smiled. "Come on out Raven Blaster Cirruci." Morganna's trap equipped itself to the new Raven Blaster. (1900/1000) Her attack steadily rose. (3500/1000)

"My card will still follow up with the attack." Ryou decided.

"Then I'll activate my manor's effect to boost my monster's attack and my Life Points!"

**Morganna: 6900**

Cirucci's attack soared. **(4800) **it wasn't enough to withstand Tytannial though. "When Cirruci is destroyed I can add a spell from my deck to my hand. And I pick Monster Reborn!"

**Morganna: 5900**

"I end my turn and my plants are destroyed," Ryou watched Gigaplant and Tytannial wither.

Morganna drew her next card.

I activate Double Summon so I can normal summon two monsters this turn. First of all I select Raven Blaster Yukito!" (300/1000) "Next I use Monster Reborn to bring back Raven Blaster Zelkova!" (4000/4000) "Now I'll remove from play the Monster Reborn in my grave to activate Yukito's effect. Once per turn I can select one Raven Blaster in the grave and revive it. The effect is powerful so he doesn't get a stat boost.

**Morganna: 6400**

"I love my Soul Absorption," Morganna joked. "Now I'll use this effect to revive Cirucci."(1900/1000) "And I release Cirucci and Yukito to normal summon my Raven Blaster Flandre!" (???/0)

Maniacal cackles filled the air.

"No, no way," Nayuta gasped.

The card looked like a five-year-old child in a white beret and pink dress. A single pigtail sprouted from her blonde hair. Wings sprouted from her back. They looked like wires lines with rainbow crystals.

"Of course I get to add a Spell to my hand. I pick Riryoko."

"Her attack is equal to all face up Raven Blasters other than herself. So that means she and Zelkova both have 4400 attack points!" Morganna smiled. "Flandre, Scarlet Slaughter now!"

Flandre laughed as she pulled the wings off her back and ran forward. The crystals began to glow and set themselves ablaze. Wielding her wings like swords, she swung back and forth with no form or style.

_Whoosh! Whoosh! **Chop!**_

"You're about to lose."

"Not quite, Morganna. I activate my spell card, Shrink! This cuts your Zelkova's original attack in half! Since his attack is determined by his effect, the rulings state that his attack becomes 0!"

"I activate the effect of my mansion to remove two spells from my deck."

**Flandre: 600**

**Morganna: 7400**

**Ryou: 3300**

"Grrr, my Zelkova's attack will stay that way too. Fine, I'll attack you directly and remove from play two spell cards!"

**Ryou: 2700**

**Morganna: 8400**

"Heh, keep it up and you'll deck out soon enough," Ryou warned.

"Just hurry up and go," Morganna barked. _'Thankfully I included a few extra spells in my deck just incase the duel dragged on.'_

'_Give in to the dark side and let your power crush her,' _the voice tempted.

Ryou drew. _'Huh, where did this card come from?' _The boy wondered. "I summon AIDA Virus Anna!" (0/0) A black creature appeared on Ryou's side of the field. It looked more like some sort of germ than anything else.

"Okay that's seriously not a plant, what's it doing in your deck?" Morganna asked.

"Sometimes a duelists needs to keep a few surprises in store to deal with any annoying pests like you." Ryou growled. "Anna's effect activates and I equip her with one monster in my graveyard. This card gains the name, type, attack, defense, and effect of the equipped monster. I'm picking Tytannial!" (2800/2600) Anna took on a new form, the shape of Tytannial princess of Camellias. She became a darker form of the plant princess. Her skin held a purple tint. Dark orbs flew off her body and danced around her.

"She also gains 300 attack points for each monster of the same type in my graveyard!" (5800/2600) "Attack Flandre with Dark Petal Flare!"

"I-I'm removing two spell cards!"

**Morganna: 4200**

A storm of petals showered the blonde Raven Blaster. She let out a maniacal laugh as she broke to pieces. Stray petals flew at Morganna and began cutting her skin. _'Dammit, why does this hurt so much?"_

"Now I'll set two cards and end my turn." Ryou stated.

Morganna drew and laughed. "This is so cool. Just when I actually thought I might be in a bit of a jam, you show up. I summon Raven Blaster Ryoko to the field!" (1000/1000) "I activate my Spell that I've been saving, Riryoku. This card steals half the attack of your AIDA Virus and gives it to Ryoko!"

**AIDA 2900**

**Ryoko 3900**

"I remove Riryoku from play **[Morganna: 4700] **and raise my Ryoko's attack by 500. Next I use Ryoko's new effect, once per turn she can raise her own attack by half of one of your monster's!" (**5850) "**Go attack the Virus!" The silver haired miko card dashed forward. She raised a staff above her head and swung.

"I activate my Trap Card, Tentacle Tangle! I discard one plant from my hand to cut your attacking monster's attack by the discarded card's attack. So I'll discard another Tytannial. Your monster loses 2800 attack points!" **(3850) **"To follow things up I'll activate another Trap Card, a second Tentacle Tangle. So I'll get rid of one Plant in my hand to have your monster lose 1600 attack points!" **(2250)**

"Of course now my monster gains 600 extra attack points!"

"So does mine, I'm activating my mansion's effect!"

**Morganna: 5700**

**Ryoko: 2850**

**AIDA: 6400**

Raven Blaster Ryoko suddenly burst apart before either monster could attack. A sharp pain shot through Morganna's chest.

**Morganna: 1550**

"I hope I'm not disappointing you anymore, Morganna," Ryou said. "Is this good enough for you?"

"I set three cards and end my turn," Morganna announced.

Ryou drew. _'Another one? Hah I don't need it to win.'_

"I activate Aida's effect. I can take the card equipped to it and move it to a monster card zone!" AIDA Virus Anna returned to her original form as the Princess of Camellias arrived at her side. (2800/2600) "Next I'll equip her with Gigaplant!" (2400/1200) Aida once more transformed, this time into a darker version of Gigaplant. "Next I'll Gemini Summon him and use his effect to revive my other Tyannial!" (2800/2600) AIDA's attack settled at 5700.

"AIDA, attack Raven Blaster Zelkova!"

"Hold it!" Morganna swung her arm out. "Negate Attack stops you in your tacks!" Aida's tentacles slammed into a barrier and fell short of their target. "Now your battle phase is over."

"Hehe, I'll set a card and end my turn," Ryou chuckled. "Now, do you want to waste everyone's time or will you just give up?"

Morganna drew her next card. "I'm ending this right here, right now, Ryou. So shut up and say your prayers. I release my Zelkova to activate Blasting Through. This Spell let's me take a Raven Blaster in my deck and add it to my hand. Then, I summon Raven Blaster Misty!" (0/0) A girl in a dark black cloak appeared. She carried a scythe on her back. Once per turn I can remove from play one Spell in my hand to activate her effect, so I'll do that."

**Morganna: 2050 **

"Now she gains the attack and effect of one Raven Blaster in my graveyard. Naturally, I pick Zelkova!"

Misty's attack began to soar upward. (7600/7600) "I'll have her attack and I'll remove two Spells from my deck!" (9000/8400)

**Morganna: 3050**

"Give it up Morganna I activate a trap card," Ryou smirked.

"Like you're the only one with a trap card?"

"I activate the trap card Network Extension Virus. When you attack and I control an AIDA Virus I can send all cards on my field with the same type as the AIDA and force you to attack it. Then, it gains 1000 extra attack per cards sent to the graveyard!"

The two Tyannials vanished and AIDA's attack rose once more. "She powers up from my trap and her own effect! (8300/1200) "I'll admit it isn't enough to win, but I'll still survive through the turn and find a way to beat you later."

**Ryou: 2400**

"Like most monsters that equip themselves with other monsters, AIDA is spared from destruction."

"Draw," Morganna instructed.

Ryou obeyed. "I activate AIDA Infestation. When I control an AIDA Virus and it isn't equipped with anything, I can steal one of your monsters. So I'm stealing Misty, and she gets equipped to AIDA!"

The resulting scene looked more like AIDA equipping itself to Misty. The computer program vanished and dark spots began floating around the Raven Blaster. Her skin turned purple. She crept toward Ryou's side of the field. (0/0) "Sadly, she doesn't do much in my hands. I can however, activate this Spell Card. Darkness Burst. I release a dark monster I control to draw two cards. So I'm relinquishing my AIDA." Both Misty and the Virus vanished.

Ryou picked up his next two cards, knowing they'd be good. "I activate the spell card Miracle Fertilizer. Now I can bring back my Tyannial!" (2800/2600)

"I'll follow up with Heavy Storm to get rid of your Spells and Traps."

Morganna grunted as her cards became dust.

"Direct attack!" The vanished lashed forward and cut her Life Points down to nearly nothing.

**Morganna: 250**

"I end my turn."

Morganna gritted her teeth as she drew. **"I! Won't! Lose!"**

Morganna looked at her extremely thin deck. "I activate Card of Demise and draw until I have five cards in my hand," she counted them off, "three, four, _five!"_

"I activate Raven's Plea. If I have less Life Points and no monsters on my side of the field, I can normal summon Level five or higher Raven Blasters with no tributes. So come on out, Misa!" (2200/1600) "When she's summoned and I have five or more Spells removed from play, I get to destroy one monster you control, so say good bye to Tytannial! Now I wish there was more I could do, but I'll just have to attack you directly."

The beautiful young lady kicked Ryou in the side.

**Ryou:200**

"I'll set two cards and end my turn."

'_Who…who am I kidding, I can't win this,' _Ryou thought. His new found confidence was wearing off.

'_Yesmyou can.' Growled the voice. 'Just give in to the darkness completely. Give in to your heart.'_

"I draw!" Ryou looked at his next card. _'AIDA Virus Desu.'_

His face twisted into a sinister smile. "I summon AIDA Virus Desu!" (0/0) "I'll have him attack your Misa!" The card quickly took the shape of Misa and rushed forward, kicking at the Raven Blaster. Misa spun around and kicked back. Their legs met in midair and both cards fell apart."

"When AIDA Virus Desu attacks or is attacked, it copies the stats of the monster it battles. Then, when they both get sent to the graveyard, you take 300 damage."

AIDA Virus Desu began to reform on Ryou's side of the field. "The best part is, he can keep reforming himself as long as I remove from play a dark monster in my graveyard."

"I activate the trap card Barrel Behind the Door! This reflects all effect damage back at you."

"AIDA Virus Desu negates all damage I take other than by battle. And since he's the only monster on my field at the moment, I'm pretty safe." Ryou laughed, knowing that he would have lost if he hadn't resummoned his monster. _"Luckily, if I choose to activate his effect and revive him, then his protection kicks in automatically.'_ Ryou pointed at Morganna, "I'm going to crush you either way, so don't think you've done anything more than stall!"

Nayuta shivered as she watched from the stands. _'It isn't that I don't want you to be more confident Ryou. But, what happened to you?'_

"I end my turn," Ryou announced. "And my AIDA's effect kicks in. The monster he destroyed with his effect is now Special Summoned to your side of the field with an extra 500 attack and defense."

(2700/2100)

"Don't think this is a good thing, as AIDA forces you to attack with every monster you control. This, of course, means bad things if you can't figure out a way around his power."

Morganna drew, praying she'd get something good. She looked over the four cards in her hand. "First I'll normal summon Raven Blaster- Catherine." (1300/0) When she's normal summoned I can pick one removed from play card and send it to my grave. So I pick Raven's Blast Wing. Next I activate my facedown spell card, Reality Warp! By removing from play one Spell in my hand and releasing one Raven Blaster on my field, I can add a Spell in my grave to my hand. So I'm ditching Catherine to get back my Raven's Blaster Wing!"

I activate the Spell Card Raven's Blast Wing! I equip it to Raven Blaster Misa and increase her attack by 300." (3000/2100) "Now my Misa will attack your AIDA!"

"Bad choice," Ryou reprimanded. "He gains your monsters attack points!"

AIDA's attack began to soar. It soon matched Misa's. (3000/2100)

The two cards battled each other to a draw.

"And now you take 300 points of damage. You lose."

"Guess again Ryou. When a monster equipped with Raven's Blast Wing is destroyed by a card effect, the wing removes itself from play and gives me 700 Life Points."

**Morganna: 650**

"And in addition, you take 300 damage."

"I can remove a monster from play to revive AIDA and have its effect protect me." Ryou reminded her.

"Except, you can' a monster equipped with Raven's Wing Blast destroys another monster in battle**, that monster's effect is negated! You can't revive your AIDA, it doesn't protect you,

**Ryou: 0**

and I win."

. . .

**Author's Note: I counted the plants in my grave twice. One time I got 9 and then I got 10 so I changed Wicked Root's effect to remove it from play. If there were only nine cards, let's just pretend it doesn't remove itself from play. Oh crap this means Soul Absorption…ughhh okay it shuffled itself into the deck**

**I hope I can be forgiven for AIDA I know it's overpowered but I wanted a super powerful card thrown in the mix.**

**Looking back I think he should have gone after Mia with his AIDA card, but I can write it off as Ryou still wanting to be slightly defensive with Tytannial's effect. And I think more often than not he didn't have much reason to start charming monsters.**

*** Yes, sending a monster to the grave might be a bit too powerful for this card, but I think I completely forgot about Destiny Rose Dragon and had it vanish..... I know it's a lazy tactic but I can't rewrite the duel ...I simply don't have the time to make it all work again, anyway if it turns out that I did destroy the DRD at another time, please let me know so I can fix this.**

**** Not sure this would work in real life once your monster gets destroyed as well.  
**


	32. Passion After the Duel

**Now for a TON of Author's Notes. Sorry.**

**Gah don't tell me I never described Morganna either. I feel like such a bad author. No wonder this story has only three reviewers.**

**Lonely Ghost666, Tsukiyomaru, Emblem Duelist, thank you all.**

**As we all know, I goofed up last chapter and Heartbeat Impulse gained an incredible new power. To tone it down, I've decided that it can't force your opponent to get rid of a monster unless they have at least two on the field.**

**Morganna's Life Points indicate she took damage from AIDA Virus's effect at the end of the duel even though her equip card should have negated it.**

**I'll fix it when I'm not busy ^^**

**And AIDA Infestation only works with AIDA cards that equip themselves with mnsters**

**Heh, the one year anniversary of this story is coming up soon. I think this is the longest I've stuck with a story. That's good. Though I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed with myself for not updating more. **

**Also, if you like stories that break the fourth wall and want to find out more about Hiromu's origins, let me know and I can point you to a story that explains it a little.**

**Gah I hope I'm not conflicting any previous info about Yuu.**

**Gah, did I ever previously mention a prize? I need to take better notes, mine are so disorganized.**

**. . .**

**Okay, here's what I'm going to need to keep in mind.**

**Naota and Hikaru met Yuu ten years ago.**

**They haven't seen Yuu for three years, but they did keep in touch with him for a while.**

**He ran away from home a year ago.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or GX or XxXHolic**

**A**

**AVA**

**AVAVA**

**. . .**

_What is the worth of a card without a duelist to play it_

_It is a piece of cardboard waiting for a soul_

_Darkness migrates and corrupts the abandoned ones_

_Time will reveal the Hell they know_

**. . .**

"I lost?" Ryou questioned the validity of the statement. "Even after all that, I still couldn't win?" He fell backwards onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

"I can't believe it's over." Morganna fell forward and landed on her hands and knees. Her long green hair grazed the ground. "It's finally, I win," her vision faded as she fell unconscious.

'_Hahahah, looks like the darkness in your heart isn't strong enough just yet. Give it time, Ryou, give it time.'_

'_Who are you?'_

'_Right, like I'll suddenly change my mind an answer.'_

A dark aura surrounded Ryou's Duel Disk as his cards spilled out. He could hear the sound of cards sliding over cards, even as the crowd cheered loudly.

"Wow, she beat Ryou. She's amazing. And those new cards Ryou used? Those are cool too. They were both amazing. I wonder if I could duel one of them. Dream on, either of them would kick your butt."

'_I promise I'll do better next time.'_

He quickly put his cards away when he noticed something. More cards rested in his Deck holder. _'These are new,' _he thought to himself. He reached for them and quickly ran through them. _'More Archfiend Plants? With these cards I might actually have a use for Abyss Flower and Chaosplant,' _he stopped. _'AIDA Virus? These things look too powerful, should I really be using them?' _He shook his head. _'I'm going to make a new deck.'_

Nayuta ran toward Ryou and hugged him tight. "You were amazing. These new cards if yours were cool. The AIDA Virus cards don't really seem like your type but they were spectacular. Where'd you get them?"

"I-I don't know," Ryou admitted. "Sorry, but I need to go," Ryou turned and ran away.

"Ryou?" Nayuta chased after the boy.

**. . .**

"So, you're saying that this Space Time Witch can grant any wish?" Ryou Bakura asked. "That sounds amazing." The five walked down the street outside. Ryou's belly sent out waves of happiness as it devoured the ramen. He still tasted the soup in his throat.

"It's true," Hiromu answered. "Ask Yuu, she granted his wish."

Yuu glanced at Pikachu with sad eyes. _'She granted my wish but I paid the price.'_

"I don't buy it," Kaiba said sternly.

"Just like you don't buy ancient Egyptian Magic?" Yugi teased.

Kaiba stifled a growl. "If you'll excuse me I have places to be. I'm meeting an important client to discuss a business transaction."

Kaiba turned to walk away.

"The Space Time Witch said you'd leave," Hiromu said with a chuckle. Kaiba ignored it. Hiromu's face became serious. "So, Yugi. Do you have a wish you want granted." He already knew the answer.

Yugi turned to Hiromu and said, "Yes."

**. . .**

Aiko's shoe flew through her TV. "Dammit, dammit, dammit, &^*%ing shit!" It crashed to the ground and broke. She screamed at the emptiness in the room. It seemed she had lost her last strain of sanity. "Ryou can't lose to that butch Morganna. I don't care if her father is one of the teacher's here. She's nothing. Nothing!" Aiko grabbed her Duel Disk. "I swear to God I'll crush her." She set off to a confrontation.

**. . .**

Naota heard the AC humming loudly as it sent waves of cold air sliding around the room.

"So, how are you feeling?" Hikaru questioned.

Naota smiled. "I'm fine, what about you?"

"What about me?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, how have you been? You were hoping to get the chance to face Ashton but you lost to Ryou. Your mom's stuck in a wheel chair because of the accident, and the school play is soon, which means you don't have much time left before you pour your heart and soul out on international television."

"I don't think the school play is international, Ta-kun, it isn't that big a deal."

Naota smiled sadly. "I know. I was just kidding. I wish it were though. We don't even know if he's still in Japan."

"Yeah," she pulled her best friend in tight for a hug.

"Why do you think he doesn't return our emails? Is he all right?" Naota whimpered. "His mom and dad said he ran away from home. He left them a note saying goodbye. What if something happened to him?"

"Wh-why are you worrying about this now, Ta-kun?" Hikaru grasped at anything she could. "I mean, every time you mention him you say you're sure he's out there somewhere, Besides, Yuu can take care of himself, I'm sure he's fine."

"He's been gone for a year," Naota sniffed. Snot dripped from his nose. "He got a new cell phone, won't call us, ignored our emails." Naota stopped. "You're right, he's fine." He hugged a pillow to his chest for comfort. "He just hates me. I annoyed him and now he doesn't want to talk to me. I'm..I'm an idiot. He probably doesn't miss me at all,"

_SLAP!_

"Hikaru's hand whipped through the air and struck the side of Naota's face. "Stop it already. I'm sure Yuu has a good reason he can't contact us. He misses you a lot. I know it. He probably wants to call us, but can't."

"B-but why wouldn't he be able to call us, unless he was in trouble?" Naota protested. "I bet he just hates me because of what I said."

**. . .**

Ryou faced himself in the mirror. His eyes narrowed into an unfamiliar glare. "I won't lose again." A dark glow surrounded his deck. "I swear, the next person I meet is fertilizer."

"Fertilizer?" The voice questioned aloud. His words boomed through the room like a clap of thunder. "Spill their blood, Ryou. Crush their spirits and their dreams. Make them sink into the darkest abyss of terror. Do that and give into me. I will grant you your hearts desire."

"Heh, I know who you are," Ryou said daringly. "Don't think I'm doing anything because you want me to. I'm doing this of my own free will."

'_Free will,' _he asked himself. _'No, this isn't what I,' _his inner innocence struggled with his grim desire to win. _'I was so afraid. Afraid people would hate me if I lost. But they still cheered my name. There's nothing wrong with losing.'_

"N-no," he clutched his head in pain. "In a few days they'll start talking about me behind my back. I bet they already are. They're laughing at how I couldn't do anything right." Ryou dropped to his knees and started shaking back and forth. "Morganna beat me badly. No matter what I tried, she spat it back at me. She's better than me. She crushed me. I- I'm a nobody. I don't want them to think that."

The door yawned open. "Is everything okay," Nayuta asked as she stepped into the room. "Sorry to barge in, but you didn't seem so good. I felt worried."

"I-I'm sorry Nayuta," Ryou calmed down a little. "I-I know I promised you I'd win, but I couldn't."

"Don't apologize," she said. "You did your best, and that's all I can ask. You still kicked a lot of butt though. Everyone's talking about your AIDA cards. Where'd you get them?"

"I-I found them in my deck this morning. They were a gift from a stranger. There was a note but it just said, I hope you like these cards."

"Really? Someone must have been a fan of yours, or maybe a secret admirer," she suggested with a smirk. Ryou blushed at the thought. "I wonder why not some plant cards though."

"The AIDA Virus is from .hack," Ryou explained.

"The same game that inspired your Mia cards and that one Octogram dude?"

Ryou nodded. "They must have thought it'd go great with my Mia card. It's actually pretty cool. If I had more cards I'd make a .hack//Deck." He joked.

"So what exactly is AIDA?" Nayuta asked.

"Well, I hate to admit it since I'm such a big fan, but it's been so long the details are hazy. I just remember that it's an intelligent computer virus that could mess with people's heads. It made them prone to give into their emotions. It drove the crazy."

"Huh, that sounds a lot like the Orgy," she admitted.

Ryou's face fell. "Yeah, I realized that. I feel a little bad for using cards like that."

"Well, don't be. They're just cards. They can't choose what they're named after. I bet they'd be sad if you didn't get to use them in a duel."

"You're right," Ryou admitted.

"So, are you feeling better? Want to go back to the Duel Dome? There's supposed to be a part to celebrate the end of the tournament. The staff managed to whip up some food even though they weren't expecting things to be over so quickly. I think there's supposed to be some sort of prize for second place."

"I think I'll stay. The tournament took a lot out of me. I need my sleep."

"Okay," Nayuta waved as she walked toward the door. "I'll let you get some rest. Just give me a call if you need anything." The door closed with a thump.

Ryou sank into his soft bed and pulled a warm fuzzy blue blanket over his body. _'I really should turn the AC down.'_

"Heh, you have a crush on her," The voice teased.

"You're really nothing like you were in the game, Skeith."

"Just because I'm named after him doesn't mean I am him."

**. . .**

"What do you mean she snuck out of the nurse's office?" Mr. Ayanami howled. "How are we supposed to hold the crowning ceremony for the tournament winner if she isn't there? And any word on Ryou? We're supposed to present him with the prize for second place!"

Mr. Ayanami paced around the back office of the Duel Dome. "Well, find her. Send campus security to look for her!"

"Don't bother father. I'm right here," a voice said behind the man.

"Sweety, how are you?"

Morganna scowled. "Don't call me that, you have no right." She took some money out and headed toward the vending machine in the corner. She paid for some soda and hit a button. _Clunk. _A can of Kaiba Cola fell out. She popped the tab off and took a gulp. The sweet taste gushed down her throat.

"Sweety, we need to hurry. The ceremony is about to begin. Everybody's been waiting for you to get up. They have two cards for the first and second place winner. As the champion, you get first pick."

"I don't care about _those_ cards, just give them both to Ryou." Morganna smiled. "I'm just here to offer you a challenge father. I want you to give me the Gorre cards. I know that you have them."

"B-but those cards don't even fit your deck. Do you even have any tuners?" Mr. Ayanami questioned.

"No, I don't. But that doesn't matter. I still want them. And I'll duel you for them." Morganna activated her Duel Disk.

"And what if I win?" Her father asked.

"As if you could ever beat me." She drew five cards. "I suppose if you win, then I'll tell you what I know about Skeith. Something you fools have failed to realize."

Mr. Ayanami drew five cards. "It's time to teach you some filial piety."

He drew his sixth card. "I activate Advanced Ritual Art. I send two normal monsters to my grave to Ritual Summon the monster, Norswemko, the Beautiful Goddess of Salvation." (2700/1200) The grey haired Spellcaster carries a sun shaped staff and wore beautiful black robes. "I have no monsters on my field, so I must give up the chance to use her effect. Next I'll remove the two insect I sent to the grave to Special Summon Doom Dozer to the field." (2800/2600) The giant insect fell onto the field from the sky. "Now I'll pay 2000 Life Points to activate Dimension Fusion and special summon the two insects I removed for Doom Dozer's Summoning. Say hello to Insect Knight (1900/1500) and Acid Crawler. (900/700)" The two insects fell out of a distorted wormhole in the atmosphere."

Mr. Ayanami smiled. "Next I'll release my Acid Crawler for Summoned Skull!" (2500/1200) The familiar Archfiend smiled at Morganna like a shark smiling at dinner. "I'll set one card and end my turn."

Morganna drew. "I raise my Life Points with Dian Keto! Next I activate Lightning Vortex to destroy all your monsters."

Lightning came to the field and swept away all the monsters Mr. Ayanami worked so hard to summon.

He only smiled. "I activate the trap card, Master of Broken Mirrors." A mirror emerged from his trap. It shattered into shards. "This card summons itself as a Trap Monster!" Each of the shards broke into a fine dust like substance. It swirled through the air and formed a man with a dark red cloak and orange hair. (2300/0) "I can only activate this trap when you use a spell to destroy monsters I control. Not only does he deal you 500 points of damage for each one, I can pay 500 Life Points per monster to revive as many as I want."

A mirror rose in front of Morganna. She watched her reflection shatter.

"And I'll pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon my Norsewenko and Doomdozer!"

**Mr. Ayanami 1000**

**Morganna 1000**

"Heh, paying 3000 Life points is a bad idea against someone who has so many ways of inflicting direct damage. Just consider yourself semi-lucky that this is what you get instead. I summon Yatagarasu of the Raven's Grave!" A skeletal raven appeared on Morganna's head. (300/200)

"Caw," it cried out.

"When he's summoned I get to select one monster on your side of the field and pick up a number of cards from the top of my deck equal to its level. I choose your eight star Doom Dozer."

Morganna grabbed the top eight cards of her deck and revealed them all. "I remove from play all the spells, and you take 100 damage for each."

Mr. Ayanami counters six spells.

**Mr. Ayanami: 400**

"Now, I shuffle the remaining cards into my deck," she said as she mixed the last two cards into her deck. "Of course, you may be wondering how important this all is. I activate Change of Heart to control your Doom Dozer!"

The large insect crawled over to her side of the field.

"No, how did you get that card? It's one of the most powerful cards in the game. But they declared it to be so rare that they never needed to ban it!"

"Perhaps if you'd pay a little more attention to your family," Morganna shook her head. "I activate Double Summon and release my two monsters to summon Raven Blaster Zelkova!" (2400/2400) Morganna smiled. "Once per turn, while my Yata-chan is in the grave I can remove from play a Spell of mine to increase one monster's attack by 300 until the end phase. So I'll remove Lightning Vortex and boost Zelkova's attack!" (3100/2800) "Now go and attack his Goddess."

**Mr. Ayanami: 0**

The impact of the scythe knocked Mr. Ayanami to the floor. "I'll be taking those cards now," his daughter said.

**. . .**

"So, what will the price be to grant Yugi's wish," Yuu asked Hiromu.

The group walked into the middle of an abandoned playground. Green grass ran wild everywhere. Rust covered the jungle gym and swing set. Water gathered on the yellow slide.

Yuu dragged his hand along a metal railing. _'I remember Naota, Hikaru, and I used to love going the playground. We'd beg our parents to take us every day.'_

The smell of overgrown weeds clogged the air. Yuu kicked up a cloud of dust as he stepped through a patch of dirt. _'I miss them so much.' _He forced a grin. _'But a fair price is a fair price.'_

Hiromu waited a minute before revealing a small disk hidden behind his back. It looked like a Version 1.0 Duel Disk. "She said she wants to duel Yugi. His price will be a single game. It doesn't matter if he wins or loses, so long as the duel is entertaining."

"That doesn't sound like much of a price for a duelist to pay," Ryou Bakura commented.

Yugi smiled. "If it's a Duel she wants, she'll get a Duel." He activated his duel disk. _Clang! _The pieces snapped together.

"But what's up with the Duel Disk, are we going to do a long

Distance duel?" Ryou questioned.

A hologram sprang out from the disk. A long pale woman with flowing black hair activated her Duel Disk. She wore an all black version of the standard Obelisk Blue uniform.

"Yes, a very long distance duel," the Space Time Witch answered. "Hiromu has informed me of your wish. Are you ready? A fair price, once paid, can't be taken back."

'_Rub it in, why don't you,' _Yuu whined internally.

"Why would I take it back?" Yugi wondered.

"Yuko just liked being mysterious and crap like that," Hiromu explained.

Yuko and Yugi drew five cards. Facing each other, they shouted, "It's time to duel!"

**Yuko: 4000**

**Yugi:4000**

Yugi's hand crept up to six cards. "I activate Double Summon, thus allowing me to summon two monsters this turn. I summon Mystical Elf and offer her for King Rex in attack mode." (2300/1500) A large green and purple dinosaur roared at Yuko and smiled. He looked hungry.

"I place two cards face down and end my turn."

Yuko drew her next card. "I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in attack mode." (1400/1200) "And I play two cards face down."

'_Obnoxious Celtic Guardian? That doesn't seem like something she'd play,' _Yuu thought to himself.

Yuko signaled that her turn was over.

"I summon Gemini Elf (1900/900) in attack mode and attack with King Rex!"

'_Why'd Yugi summon that monster?' _The white haired duelists wondered. _'Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can't be destroyed by monster's with 1900 attack or more. He should have played something weaker so he could get in a direct attack and remove that Elf from play. Now Yuko can release it to Advance Summon a monster.'_

The dinosaur charged forward and swiped at the elf with his tail.

"I activate Staunch Defender and Begone, Knave. This turn, you must attack my Celtic Guardian with all monsters you control. And all monsters that deal me battle damage are returned to your hand."

**Yuko: 3100**

"Now I use King Rex's effect. I can draw one card and end my turn." He looked at his newest card. _'This should help out a lot.'_

An armored soldier appeared and held out his hand. A strong gust of wind blew the dinosaur back into Yugi's hand.

"Yuko's really enjoying this," noted Hiromu.

The Space Time Witch drew a new card. "Begone, Knave is a continuous trap, so it remains on the field." She explained. "I set one card in my spell and trap zone and end my turn."

"I activate Reload," Yugi announced. He shuffled his hand into his deck and drew new cards. "It allows me to exchange the cards in my hand with new ones in my deck." He rid himself of three cards for three more. "And I use Mystical Space Typhoon to blow your face up trap card away. I follow up with Warrior Elimination to destroy your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian." Yugi grabbed another card." And I release my Gemini Elf to advance Summon Neon Knight." (2000/1500) "And I'll attack you directly!"

The armored soldier's red cape flowed behind him as he dashed forward. His sword swiped at Yuko.

**Yuko: 1100**

"For someone with a reputation like the Space Time Witch, she's not very good at this," Yuu commented.

Hiromu's eyes twinkled. 'Watch."

Yuko reached for her next card. "I summon Maha Vailo in attack mode." (1550/1400) "And I equip her with Axe of Despair." A frightening axe appeared in the Spellcaster's hand, nearly doubling her attack points. (3050/1400) "She gains 1000 attack points from the axe and 500 more points from the axe and 500 from her own effect, which gives her 500 attack per equip card I have on her."

Yuko pointed at Yugi dramatically. "Attack his Neon Knight with your Demonic axe Swing!" The Axe charged itself with a mystical aura as it drew power from Maha Vailo. The Spell Caster spun around and unleashed the axe's might. A wave of energy shot forward at Neon Knight.

"Thanks to my Neon Knight's effect, I'll activate two equip spell cards of my own. Malevolent Nuzzler and Black Pendant will raise my monster's attack by a total of 1200 points." (3200/1500)

"It seems Yugi's still one step ahead," Ryou commented.

"No, he's chasing an illusion. Yuko's miles ahead of him now." Hiromu said with a smile.

"Miles? Oh, are you from America?" Ryou asked.

"Ehhh, sort of."

The Neon Knight smiled as a dark glow surrounded him. He fended off the wave of energy with his word and batted it right back.

Yuko watched the attack return to her Maha Vailo. "I use my Trap Card, Collected Power. All equip cards move to my Maha Vailo."

The Spellcaster raised a dark wall of energy to block the attack. The Neon Knight's power reverted to normal while Maha Vailo's skyrocketed. (5250/1400)

The Spellcaster ignored the axe for round two. She focused on her lovely new pendant. Her hands delicately wove around the beautiful piece of jewelry. She formed a dark orb of energy in her hands and hurled it at Neon Knight.

The brave knight tried to repeat his earlier performance, but the Spellcaster's newfound powers were too much for him. The orb grew and engulfed him. When it vanished, so did he.

**Yugi: 750**

"That was amazing," Ryou Bakura gasped.

His Yami smiled. _'This Space Time Witch is toying with Yugi; if she really wanted to, she'd have ended it by now.'_

**. . .**

Ashton walked into the nurse's office with flowers. "So how are you feeling, Naota?" He handed over a bouquet of daffodils and tulips. He sat on a chair waiting at the side of his bed. "I hope you're doing better."

"Yeah, I am," he shifted around, trying to get comfortable. "But the nurses are worried that I have to keep coming here so much. They said they were considering sending me to a hospital somewhere away from the island."

"I say you should go," Hikaru told him. "It could get worse. I mean, we thought things were getting better but you've been coughing blood lately."

"Not much," Naota reminded. "Still, it's pretty bad," the girl insisted. "We're worried about you. Nayuta is too. She said she's on her way; she just had to go check on Ryou really quick. Apparently he isn't doing too well either."

Naota said nothing.

. . .

**(Sorry to interrupt, but I'm skipping the end of the duel.)**

"That was a great duel," Yugi told Yuko. "We should play again sometime. Though based on your reputation I assume that means I'll have to pay a cost for the duel." He joked.

Yuko smirked. "The cards you seek are in Hiromu's possession." The hologram abruptly vanished.

. . .

"That was fun," a black rabbit like creature said to Yuko. "Mokona wants to duel!"

Yuko smiled. "Indeed it was fun. Watanuki, bring us some sake. It's time to celebrate!"

A black haired boy with glasses frowned. "Sake? It's only one and you're getting drunk already?" he barked.

The Space Time Witch simply grinned.

**Author's Note: Sorry for having Morganna duel again so soon…I mean, that's what, three in a row? And another curb stomp duel…aghhh. But I really felt that this needed to get out of the way. Heh, she's supposed to duel Aiko soon but I might put that off.**

**.**

**Also, sorry Yugi's duel is so lame, I think the tournament drained me.**

**And I'm not showing the end of the duel because of well, neither of them really seem like the type to lose.**

**Also, the Kaiba Cola joke sounds familiar…I'm sorry if I stole it**

**And sorry Yuko is so Out of Character, she's more complex than most and I have trouble handling her…mostly because she can go from drunk one page to moody and mysterious the next.**

**As for King Rex's effect, I think I got it right. I'm not sure if you have to end your turn or it's optional.**


	33. Dark Synchro Shokan: Windmill Dragon!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, XxXHolic, or .hack

Odd, it seems that some of the buttons are missing from Word and I can no longer center anything.

**. . .  
**

"Are you sure that he's the best for the job?" Linden asked Ender. A volcano spewed lava in the distance. Linden sat on the rocky ground as lava flowed around her. "You know Thorn isn't exactly the best duelist around."

Ender grinned. "Don't worry. He's been living among the humans for years. He's practiced the game. He's good enough to be a pro. He makes a living off the game. There's no way that he'd lose to someone like Naota."

"It's hard to believe," Linden exclaimed, "That you two were,"

"Don't remind me." Ender growled. "I hate that brat. I wish that I could kill him myself, but he's vital to our plans. We need him if we are to free the Octogram. And once we free them, they can free their masters."

"And then the world shall be ours to toy with as we please."

**. . .**

Yuu tossed and turned in the hotel bed, trying to get some sleep.

_Squeaky, squeaky, squeak, squeak._

He grabbed a soft white pillow and began to smother himself with it. "I can't believe I paid this much for a hotel room and their walls are so thin I can hear the couple next door going at it. Aghh!" He sniffed the flower scented fabric softener lingering on the pillowslip. _'It smells like the same brand dad uses.'_

"How can you even afford a hotel room anyway? Heck, you've been living in hotel rooms for a year. That doesn't seem possible." Pikachu hopped up onto the bed and rested on the boy's stomach. "And who even gives a hotel room to a kid your age without any proper identification?"

"Anyone if you pay enough. And about the money, it's simple really. You auction off a few rare cards and you're rich for life. I didn't even have to go into a rare collection, just some stuff I had from Booster Packs, like the Twelve God Dragon, Destiny Rose Dragon, Red Eyes Serpent Wyvern, and the like."

"Wow, sounds like you've got some great luck with boosters," Pikachu decided. "

"Yeah," Yuu looked out at the evening sky. The sunset painted the world orange. "It's still early yet, maybe I should go for a walk."

He got up and walked toward the door. "Coming?"

The yellow mouse followed him.

**. . .**

As Yuu walked toward the staircase, his mind drifted away, reflecting on the duel from earlier.

_"I activate Future Fusion to send five dragons in my deck to the grave and Special Summon a Five God Dragon in two turns," Yuko boasted. "Then I activate my Dragon's Mirror to remove from play the three Blue Eyes White Dragons in my grave and Special Summon Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"_

_"No way," Yuu gasped as the three-headed dragon descended to the field._

_"How'd you get that card? There are only three Blue Eyes White Dragons in this world and they all belong to Kaiba!" Yugi exclaimed. "And there are only three Blue Eyes Ultimates as well."_

_"Perhaps in your world that is true," Yuko told him. "But there are an infinite number of worlds out there."_

**. . .**

Yuu's mind returned to the present just as the elevator beeped open. The duo stepped in and Yuu pressed the button for the first floor. He sank to the elevator floor and brushed his hand against the soft red carpeting.

"It, it isn't fair," Yuu cried. "Sure you're powerful Pikachu, but I only have one of you. And I had to give up so much." He quickly snapped to his senses and wiped away the single tear rolling down his cheek. "Oh who am I kidding? You can open the way to the dimension of the Octogram. You're way cooler than Yugi's stupid God Cards."

Pikachu smiled as he hopped onto the boy's shoulder. "Speaking of Yugi, I didn't realize he could see spirits. I was surprised when he said hi to me."

Yuu turned to Pikachu. "Do you think I'll be as good as Yugi one day?"

Pikachu nodded firmly.

"Thanks, I'll need to be if I ever hope to defeat the entire Octogram.

**. . .**

Knock! Knock!

Ryou turned to his door in surprise. "Please, come inside," he said politely.

'_Gah who is it. I hope they aren't here to bother me.'_

'_Wait, what am I thinking, I should be happy. After all, someone is taking their time to visit me.'_

Mr. Ayanami stepped through the door. "Ayanami-sensei," the Obelisk Blue gasped in surprise. "It's a pleasure to see you. Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked.

"No, none at all. I'm just surprised that you weren't at the ceremony today. After all, you were supposed to claim the prize for second place. Of course, my daughter wasn't there either so the ceremony was a mess."

"Prize?" He asked.

'_I hope it's a rare card,' _Skeith chuckled. _'Of course nothing can compare to the fierce AIDA Deck I have supplied you.'_

"Yes, the first and second place winners were to receive a card each, though Morganna said she had no need for her card. She told me to give them both to you." He handed two cards over.

Ryou immediately smiled.

"Thank you sensei," he said politely. "These look wonderful. I can't wait to use them in a duel."

"Have fun now," the teacher said as walked out the door.

"I thought my father would never leave," said a voice from behind the boy.

"What are you doing here Morganna?"

"A few things. A, I am checking up on you. Your personality has been changing ever since we got into our duel. A strange force is taking you over and corrupting your heart. I find this all to be very fascinating. And as for B, well, I came to give you these." She flew two new cards at Ryou. As big a fan of the game as I am, I thought these two .hack cards belonged with you. After all, you already have one of the phases."

'_Make that two,' _he thought to himself. _'I have Corbenik as well.'_

_. . ._

Naota and Nayuta both sighed as they watched the sunset. "Shouldn't you be in your dorm resting?" Nayuta asked.

"I don't feel like it," Naota admitted. "Thanks for coming with me; Hikaru said she wanted to work on memorizing some lines for the play."

"Well, you looked lonely when you said that," the Ra Yellow said. She gently scooted closer to him, plucking a small azalea out of her way. She sniffed it gently. "Do you ever get homesick Naota?"

"Not really," he admitted. "I'm not that close to my parents. The only friend I had back home was Hikaru and she's always with me when I'm here. How about you?"

"I miss my family. I have two brothers. One older and one younger. I miss them both. I can't wait to go hoe and duel my little brother, he's always ready for a game. I think Eirin called first dibs though."

Naota laughed quietly. "Well, you can always duel him over the internet right? It's not as fun but it's nice to keep in touch sometimes, right?"

Nayuta nodded. She let out a yawn as she let her head rest on Naota's shoulder. "Hey, Naota, I'm bored, want to find someone to duel?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay follow me, I know the perfect place." Nayuta quickly jumped to her feet. "There's a group of duelists who constantly meet to duel under the setting sun. Something about a love of the atmosphere."

"Hey slow down," Naota couldn't keep up with the energetic girl. I just got out of the nurse's."

"Right, sorry," she said as she turned back to Naota. "Oof!" She slammed right into a mysterious stranger.

He looked tall, too tall to be a teenager. He wore a black jacket over a white shirt. The sleeves of the jacket hung decoratively at his sides. "Someone's in a rush," he chuckled. Long brown bangs covered his blue eyes. "Everything okay?"

"Y-you're," Nayuta gasped. "Thorn-sama, I am so sorry, I didn't see you there. My friend and I were just in such a rush that I wasn't paying attention."

"Sorry to bother you, but, who is this guy?" Naota asked.

"Who, who is this guy? He's one of the biggest Pros out there. He's in a league above Ashton and the others. He's dueled Jonouchi to a _tie!"_

"You mean Yugi Mutou-sama's best friend Jonouchi!" Naota gasped. "But he's one of the top duelists in the league. Kaiba and Yugi are the only two who can beat him."

"So you guys were in a rush? Where are you heading?" He asked.

"We were just looking for someone to duel," Nayuta explained. "There's a group of kids always meeting about now," she fiddled with her fingers, "we were just going to go look for them."

"Really?" He asked. "Mind if I come? I've been looking forward to seeing some of the students duel. I came to watch the tournament, but apparently everyone finished much earlier than expected." He chuckled.

"Of-of course, come along. We'd love to have you come with us."

'_Perfect,' _thought Thorn. _'These kids have no idea what I have planned for them.'_

Naota frowned. _'I don't trust this guy.' _He held a hand to his head.

The three of them began to walk slowly toward the Ra Yellow Duel Dome. "There's a small garden just outside the Ra Yellow Dome. They're always meeting there."

Naota's head began to pound and he fell to his knees. "Nayuta get away from him," he warned.

"What?" She asked. "Why?"

"I don't trust him, run."

Thorn smiled as he grabbed Nayuta by the wrist. "Hahaha, Ender warned me this might happen. It seems that you have some sort of sense for identifying the servants of the Octogram. It doesn't matter though."

Nayuta struggled to break free but Thorn gripped her too tightly. "Meet me at the abandoned dorm or else the girl gets it."

Nayuta swiftly aimed a kick at Thorn's shin.

"Oww, you little," Thorn moaned.

"Sorry, I don't play damsel in distress very well," she mock apologized.

Thorn growled. "Fine, but don't think this means you can escape."

Darkness poured out of his duel disk, covering the field.

"What's going on?" Naota demanded.

"I'm challenging you to a dark duel," he explained. "Don't worry; nothing will happen to you when you lose. I just want to test your strength!"

Naota kept holding his head in pain. "Fine, you go first."

Thorn spread his five cards out and added a sixth to his hand. "I summon Dark Radian in attack mode." (1000/1000) A purple portal opened on Thorn's field. A dark panther crawled out and began purring happily. "He's cute, isn't he? Too bad he won't be around for long. I activate the Spell Card Dark Rain. This card let's me pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon a monster from my deck with less than 500 attack."

**Thorn: 3000**

**Naota: 4000**

'_1000 Life Points for a monster with less than 1000 attack? Either he's got something with a great effect or he's going to Synchro Summon a monster. No, maybe fusion.' _Nayuta watched with a worried look.

"I pick Dark Tuner Chaosrogue!" (0/0) The fiendish being rose on Thorn's side of the field. "Now I'll Dark Tune my monsters together."

"What?" Naota yelped as he rose to his feet.

"My Dark Tuner is Level 8 and my Dark Radian is Level 3. I'll subtract my Chaosrogue's 8 stars from Radian's 3 and Dark Synchro Summon a Level -5 monster!"

"A negative level monster?" Naota gulped at the thought. _'That's a new game mechanic entirely. I've never heard of it. I have no clue what to expect!'_

"Crushing darkness engulf this pitiful planet. Bring death, destruction, and despair to all. Rock this world with your might. Dark Synchro Shokan! Windmill Dragon!" (2300/1000) The Chaousrogue transformed into eight black stars that circled around Dark Radian. Eight chunks of flesh tore out of his body and he howled in pain. A large green dragon flew from the sky. It had a slender serpent-like body. It wore the blades of a windmill around its neck like a collar. "My Dark Tuner's effect activates and sends five cards from your deck to the graveyard!"

**Naota's Deck: 30**

"My Windmill's effect activates. Since I just sent five cards from your deck to the graveyard, I gain 500 of your Life Points." The blades of the windmill began to spin and whistle as they generated a strong gust of wind. Naota felt blades of air scratching his skin.

**Naota: 3500**

**Thorn**: **3500**

"Next I activate the effect of my Dark Radian. By removing him from my grave I can Special Summon one monster in my hand in face down defense mode. It can't ever switch modes, but I'll be fine with that. Next I activate Gravekeeper's Servant, so you can't ever attack without sending a card from your deck top the grave!"

Naota's draw reduced his deck to twenty-nine cards. "I activate Swords of Revealing Light, thus flipping your facedown monster!"

Thorn grinned and clapped his hands. "Bravo, you flipped my Needle Worm. Now five cards get sent from your deck to the graveyard." A cute worm appeared on the field and shot a stinger at Naota's deck. Naota slipped five cards away and braced himself for the incoming wind. Blood spilled from a small cut on his cheek.

**Naota: 3000**

**Thorn: 4000**

"A necessary sacrifice. I send my Swords to the grave to special summon Swordsman of Revealing light to the field!" (2500/2000) A blonde swordsman in white chainmail appeared. A black cape trailed behind him. "So let's get rid of that dragon now."

The Swordsman sliced through the air and sent blades of win at the dragon. Windmill Dragon fought back by spinning his windmill and sending a stream of air flying at Naota.

**Naota: 2900 Deck: 23**

**Thorn: 4100**

Windmill Dragon fell apart and vanished from the field.

**Thorn: 3900**

"Now I'll activate his second effect," Thorn said with a smile. "By removing from play one monster on my side of the field. So I say bye to my Needle Worm. And then I get to bring my monster back to the field!" (2300/2000)

A new purple portal appeared on the field and the dragon slithered out.

Naota's eyes narrowed in displeasure. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"I activate Spellbook Inside the Pot so we both draw three cards!" Thorn took a trio of new cards from his deck and fanned through them.

Naota couldn't tell if he should frown or smile. _'Three new cards might be good, but he gets new cards too. And this just cut my deck down to half its size!'_

**Naota: 2900 Deck: 20**

**Thorn: 3900**

"Just be glad I don't have a Card Destruction in my hand," Thorn pointed out. "But that doesn't change much. I summon Chainsaw Insect!" (2400/0) A large insect with chainsaw blades for pincers crawled onto the field. "I know he seems strong, but if he attacks or is attacked, then you have to draw a card, so it's okay!" He clapped is hands mockingly. "Bah, I want to use his effect to slowly get rid of your deck, but I have better ideas. I activate Premature Burial and pay 800 Life Points to bring back a dead monster!"

**Thorn: 3100**

"Come on out. Dark Tuner Chaosrogue!" (0/0) Thorn chuckled as he watched his opponent tremble in fear. "But that isn't all, I activate the Spell card, Dark Tuner Curse. This card can only be activated when I control Dark Tuner. I destroy one monster on your field!" A dark aura wrapped around the swordsman.

Naota watched his first defense crumble like sand. "I, I activate his effect. Whenever he's targeted by a spell I get to choose one monster you control. It can't attack for two turns!" Two swords of light fell around Windmill Dragon and raised a barrier.

"Not bad, this will keep you around a bit longer." Thorn admitted. "But not good enough. Anyway, thanks to my spell, you are allowed to Special Summon a monster from your deck, so make it a good one."

"I pick," he searched his deck. "Genesis of Darkness- Shiki!" (3000/0) "She gains 500 attack for every Spellcaster I control, so that makes her attack rise to 3500."

"And she doesn't have any summoning requirements?" Thorn asked.

"Just that she can't be normal summoned." Naota explained. "Thanks for helping me get her out."

_'That card,' _Nayuta thought. _'It's the one Yuu gave him. Is he's using it I'm sure that it's a good sign.'_

"Well, now that you've pulled that out of your deck, you have one less card. Now I'll get rid of five more."

"Blacker than midnight, echoes of a chant send me into a trance, I call your name from the oppressive crushing darkness. Rise now and serve me. Synchro Shokan, Jet-Black Zummwald!" (2000/1000) A black robed creature with a red hood and strange staff appeared."My Dark Tuner sends five cards from your deck to your graveyard!"

Windmill Dragon sent streams of air through the air.

**Naota: 2400 Deck: 14 **

**Thorn**: **3600**

"Now I use Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy your left face down! And my Jet Black Zummwald will attack your monster."

"What's his effect!" Naota asked as he slipped his Mirror Force into the graveyard.

"First, he can't be destroyed in battle," Thorn explained. "Second, your monster's attack is reduced to 2000!"

"So then he can destroy anything?" Naota asked.

"Pretty much!" Jet Black Zummwald blasted Shiki with a spell. "Next, you lose 1 card for every 100 attack points your monster lost."

"That's impossible," Nayuta protested. "No Mill effect should be that dealy."

"Your monster had 3500 attack and dropped to 2000. That's a 1500 attack point loss, or 15 cards."

Naota slipped the last fourteen cards of his deck into the graveyard. He prepared for the blast of win from Windmill Dragon."

**Naota: 1000**

**Thorn: 5000**

"Looks like this duel is over," Thorn chuckled.

"Is it?" Naota asked. "How many cards do you have in your graveyard?"

"I'm not sure," Thorn growled. "I can check."

"Don't bother. Dark Rain, Chaosrogue, Spellbook, Chainsaw Insect, Premature Burial, Dark Tuner Curse, Mystical Space Typhoon. If I'm not forgetting anything, that makes seven. Naota smiled. "Now I activate my trap card, Returning to the Base. When cards are sent from my deck to the graveyard I can add two of the cards in my graveyard to the top of my deck. My friend Ashton gave this to me. It doesn't really seem to fit myt heme, but since I'm horrible at fighting Mill decks so this helps."

"I end my turn."

**Naota's Deck 2**

Naota drew one of his last two cards. "First I activate the Spell Card Soul Release! I remove your Mysticsal Space Typhoon, Chaosrogue, Chainsaw Insect, Premature Burial, and Dark Rain!" Naota grinned. _'Heh, I always knew that card would save me one day.'_ The boy reached for another card. "Trap Booster let's me discard one card to activate a trap from my hand." He smiled. "And now I'll use my trap card, Gense to Meikai no Gyakuten! AKA, Exchange of the Spirit. I'll chain it with my Spell Card Emergency Provisions. I'll send my Exchange to the grave to gain the 1000 Life Points I need for its cost, then we switch our decks with our graves and we shuffle."

"No, you bastard." Thorn swore as he ditched his deck into the grave and shuffled his Spellbook Inside the Pot and Dark Tuner Curse to form his new deck.

Naota smiled. "And I use Card of Sanctity to force us both to draw until we have six cards!"

Thorn decked out.

"You may have beaten me, but there will be others Naota. The servants of the Octogram won't lose." Thorn's body crumbled to dust as the darkness receded.

**. . .**

Ender smiled as his comrade appeared before him. "Looks like I was mistaken. Naota actually beat Thorn after all. But enough of that, what brings you here, Fray?"

"You should have sent me, I'll crush that little pest with my deck." Her long violet hair fell against her black kimono. "And when I'm done with him I'll go after his precious friend Hikaru."

Ender smiled. "I thought you wanted to go after her first?"

"What better way to cause her pain than to go after her best friend?"

**AVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVA**

**Author's Notes: I'm fully aware that the wind makes windmills spin.**

**Also, i can't remember if Shiki counted herself last time I used her. From now on she does. Unless I forget again....  
**


	34. Frayed Forest

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Card Captor Sakura or Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles oh wait, that doesn't come into play until later my bad**

**Anyway if you feel like it, you can check out my stories I2, Lightside, and Darkside for more info on the events taking place in this story  
**

**. . .**

"What just happened?" Naota asked. Small drops of blood dripped onto the grass.

"I don't know," Nayuta said as she ran to Naota's side. "Are you okay?" Naota nodded.

"It just stings a little."

"We better call Emi and the others." Nayuta whipped out her cellphone. "Hey, Eirin, some weirdo just challenged Naota to a duel. He got scratched up but nothing too serious. I think we need to meet. Yeah, call Emi. I'll contact Ryou. Yeah, the Obelisk Blue Dorms are probably best. We'll meet in your room."

Naota quickly sent Hikaru a text message.

Nayuta quickly hung up on her sister and dialed Ryou's number. "Hello? Oh. Hey Ryou, call me back when you get the chance." She turned to Naota. "That's odd, he didn't answer. Usually he picks up right away."

**. . .**

Ryou stood over the bodies of three unconscious students. "I heard that there were some exciting duels always going on near the Ra Yellow dorms this time of day, but if that's all you have, then I guess the rumors were false."

'_No, what am I doing? I have to call for help! They could be hurt!' _Ryou thought to himself.

'_And say what? That you did this to them?' _Skeith sneered. _'I like this new personality of yours. But I'm surprised you're doing so well to fight it. Most people either crack and go into a coma or they just give up and let the darkness take over them. Go ahead and resist, Ryou. In the end the new you will take over and help usher me into the world'_

'_It won't work Skeith, Emi will stop you. I know she will. She's close, I can feel it. She'll save me from you.'_

'_Oh really? Like she's trying so hard to save all the other victims. You and your friend disgust me. You act like the heroes, but anytime you come across one of the Organizations victims, you start treating them like criminals. People who would normally be much nicer are now suddenly the scum of the Earth to you all. At least I don't go around pretending to have the moral high ground.'_

'_Sh-shut up. We're just trying to stop the Organization. We're doing our best!' _

Ryou walked away with a smile plastered on his face. "I need to find a better opponent if I truly wish to test my new deck's capabilities."

"Then how about me?"

"Why, hello, Emi. What a pleasant surprise to see you here."

"I-I'm sorry Ryou, I should have protected you better. I didn't realize they'd get to you."

"What are you talking about Emi? I've never felt better." Ryou chuckled. "Alas, I'm not ready to duel you just yet. I haven't fully tested the capabilities of my deck. I know that if I duel you now it would only spell my defeat. So until then I must say, sayonara."

"I don't care what you say," Emi said as she narrowed her eyes, "We're dueling right now. I want my friend back."

"Sorry, Emi, but I'm with the darkness now," Ryou laughed. "You can't have me back. Though, if you're feeling lonely, just wait a while and I'll be able to send you to Subaru."

"_You, the world, are mine my darling," _Emi's cell phone began ringing.

"You better answer that."

. . .

Fumiko howled in frustration as she clawed at her face. "Dammit, the Organization hasn't given me any missions lately. I guess I messed up too much and they don't need me anymore." She collapsed on the sofa.

The crunching of food caught her attention. "Don't be silly," Sousuke told her. "Every member of the Organization is important. Sure we may fight and squabble some times, but we all need to get along if we want to succeed at our goals. And it isn't just you, our missions have been put on hold recently. It seems that things are finally falling into place. The Servants have started to move. Her prophecy is finally coming to pass. Our grasp shall tighten,"

"Quit being so dramatic Sousuke."

"Sorry." The boy smiled. "Anyway, I apologize, but I need to vanish at the moment. Kai invited me to duel him."

"Kai? But he's, he's one of the highest ranking members of the Organization! Why does he want to duel you? No offense, but you're not that high up the ladder."

"None taken. The thing is, even though we have a large percentage of the student population under our control, it isn't as high as we'd like. That means our top agents have to start going out and doing the fieldwork, which, as we know is risky. So he wants to have a little warm up duel first."

"But why you? You aren't exactly the best opponent."

"That may be true, but Kai has his reasons."

**. . .**

"I'm on my way," Hikaru said to her cell phone. She looked at the script in her hand. "Hahaha, I can't wait to do this." She quickly reached for her Duel Disk just in case. Ignoring all common sense, she threw her windows open and jumped out. The evening air felt cool against her skin. The smell of the outdoors actually helped clear her mind. "I hope Naota's okay, I should have been with him," she tried not to worry too much, but an aching feeling in her chest told her something was wrong."

"Oh, don't worry, he's fine for now." Said a voice. "His opponent was no where near my strength." A violent haired young woman appeared several feet ahead of Hikaru. "Your friend is lucky that I didn't get to him first or else he'd be gone by now."

Darkness poured out beneath the girl's feet, engulfing the world as far as Hikaru could see. Her vision began to twist; the silhouette of the ground spiraled upward into the sky. She felt the Earth vanish beneath her, and she fell through the nothingness.

She crashed onto a cold stone surface. "Owww," a moan of pain slipped out her lips. "Where am I?" Hikaru looked around and found herself in a dark labyrinth. Torches lined the wall and their blue flames danced and scattered light. She got up and put her hand to the wall. It felt bumpy and rough against her smooth skin.

"You are in my world now. A twisted labyrinth of nightmares. The only way out is to beat me in a duel, but you'll have to find me first." The girl vanished from sight as the flames grew brighter, casting a ghostly glow on the maze.

"You better start walking," her voice echoed through the corridors.

Hikaru's footsteps echoed in the emptiness as she walked through like a half frightened kitten. "Who are you?"

"My name is Fray," the voice answered.

Hikaru found herself at walking over budding azaleas that peaked through cracks in the floor. She hunched over to pick one up and twirl it between her fingers. "I hate mazes," she muttered. With a quick spinning motion, she activated her Duel Disk and grabbed a card from her deck. "I activate the Field Spell, Mirrored Sky!"

She looked up and watched a mirror extend outward from the ceiling, giving her a glimpse of the labyrinth's shape. "So I have to go," she paused for a moment.

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!" Fray countered.

Hikaru's mirror shattered and shards showered her from above. She wove through the falling glass like an expert dancer avoiding danger. "Well, there goes that plan," she looked at the scattered shards of the mirror littering the ground. She put on a halfhearted smile. Glass crunched beneath her feet as she strolled through. "So Fray, tell me, what the Hell are you up to?"

"It's quite simple, my dear Hikaru. I serve the Octogram, and this is their will." Fray let out a long laugh. "The Dark Side of the Octogram wants to see you and your friends crushed. So they've sent their servants after all of you."

Hikaru arrived at a fork in the labyrinth. "Great, which way do I go? Too bad I can't just summon a monster with over 3000 attack and break my way through."

"Yeah, the labyrinth's walls are not a card," Fray joked. "Listen, I don't have all day, so I'll give you a hint. You should turn right."

"I don't trust you," Hikaru said as she turned left.

"Fine, your problem, not mine."

The unstable lighting began hurting Hikaru's eyes. "Dammit, when I find you, you are so dead," she threatened. She suddenly stumbled over a large crack running through the floor. "Geez, not only do I get stuck in some evil maze; it isn't even well taken care of."

"Yes, keep complaining. That's your first defense against anything. If you don't like something you whine and moan about it." Fray's voice rang in Hikaru's ears. "I'm sure it'll make things better."

Hikaru blocked out the sound of the taunts and kept moving forward. "Why don't you just come out and duel me, you chicken!" She screamed angrily. "I don't have time for all of this."

The overwhelming smell of chocolate struck her nose. The world warped around her. "Where am I?" She looked around at the city streets. Cars honked their horns as they drove by. Tall buildings towered over her. "This is," a gasp of realization slipped through her lips. "The Midnight Duel."

"Indeed it is," a familiar voice said behind Hikaru. She spun around like a ballerina. "Morganna, what are you doing here?"

"Invading the darkness. The Servants of the Octogram have their plans, and I have mine. Our plans conflict, so I'm here to help stop them." Phantom duelists chattered meaninglessly as they wandered the streets looking for an opponent to face. Some stopped to engage in card based warfare, others kept moving, hoping for some excitement.

Morganna stroked her arm like a child rubbing a sore. "I've been stalking the Servants for a few hours, it seems that they've recreated this world for some purpose. I can only speculate as to why, but it could have to do with the fact that you, Naota, Emi, and I were all there on that day."

"You and Emi were there too?" Hikaru asked.

Morganna nodded. "Don't you remember, Emi won the tournament? It's how she got her Chronocide Angel. Of course, she didn't just win the tournament, she also found herself caught up in the crap that happened that night. Just like you and Naota."

The two walked through the streets, looking for a clue. Hikaru felt the cold night air brush against her skin. It felt just like the first time she entered the tournament. "What about you, did you get caught up in it?"

Morganna's eyes twinkled as she answered. "Yeah, I did." She paused for a moment so she could concentrate. "From what I heard earlier, this Fray wants you to find her, right? So think back, where in the city did the whole mess start for you?"

"The DMG clothing store. I was admiring a shirt in the window when Naota got bored. He challenged a random adult to a duel and lost badly."

Hikaru broke into a jog, "follow me."

"Right behind you."

Hikaru searched her memory. "It was right past Café Pikeru," she vanished around a corner. "It's right th," she gasped midsentence when she saw the memory playing out like a projection. She came to an abrupt halt.

"_I summon Scapegoat Sheppard in defense mode," (0/0) Naota said. His white robed Sheppard took the field. She held an oak cane in her hands and quickly ordered Naota's four scapegoat tokens to her side. "She gains 1000 defense for each token I control. In addition, you can't attack tokens while she's on the field!"_

"_Too bad for you I don't need to attack. I activate the spell card Sacrifice to the Wicked. I tribute all monsters on your side of the field top Special Summon a Cruel Miser token to your side of the field. (4000/8000)"His stats equal the total of all monsters released plus 1000 for each monster released. He's also immune to Spells and Traps."_

"_Then why did you put him on my idea of the field?" Naota gasped._

"_To teach you a lesson. This isn't a game for children to be playing for fun. It's serious business. Your deck makes me sick. You have no idea how to play. This monster may be tough, but he can't attack unless you pay life Points equal to his attack, so I highly doubt you'll be using him anytime soon." The man drew a card. "And now that it's my turn, I activate the Spell Card Blossom Break. With a sweet flower in my hand I'll bring forth a new future. With this spell, I can remove from play two plant type monsters in my graveyard to Synchro Summon a Plant Type Synchro Monster. It can't attack this turn, but it's not necessary. So now, bloom into a million petals of joy. The sweet scent of victory carried on the breath of the wind. An avian herald sings praise of the coming spring." He smiled. "Synchro Shokan, Nectar Butterfly."(3000/0)_

"_No way is that thing a Plant," Naota complained. _

"_It is, thanks to her effect. She's both an insect and a plant. Now I'll user her effect, by giving up 1000 attack points I can select a monster on your side of the field and gain Life Points equal to its attack. I choose your Cruel Miser Token!"_

**????: 14300**

**Naota: 2700**

"Naota drew a monster on his next turn," Hikaru explained. "But he had to play it in defense mode. So on the next turn that guy just destroyed it and used the Butterfly's effect again."

"Hmph, I remember this guy. I crushed him after he tried to hurt my little brother," Morganna said with a hint of malice. The phantasms warped from sight with a gentle popping sound, like a small bubble bursting open under pressure.

Hikaru sank to her knees. "Naota felt so devastated after that duel. That guy kept making fun of him so he started crying. He ran away and almost got hit by a car. Luckily the driver saw him and stopped in time." Hikaru made herself comfortable as she sat on the ground. "But he just found himself in an even worse situation. The driver tried to kidnap him instead. Luckily some guy from tournament security came to the rescue."

Morganna slumped next to Hikaru. "Yeah, Naota was one of the lucky few."

"Morganna?" Hikaru began. "Never mind, you probably don't want to tell me." She looked up at the shimmering stars. _'Shimmer, shimmer, starlight shine,' _she sang in her head. _'Ribbons of light twist and entwine.'_

"I'm surprised though, I thought for sure Fray would be here," Morganna said. "What happened afterwards, maybe we need to go somewhere else."

"Don't bother," said a voice. Fray faded into view. "I'm right here, waiting for you."

Hikaru excitedly hopped to her feet. "I guess now it's time to kick your butt, huh?" She joked. "I guess I finally have the chance to test the adjustments I made," she said with a smile. _'Dammit, I shuffled some cards around and I didn't have time to test out the flow of my new deck.'_

. . .

Fray activated her Duel Disk. It was black with a purple ring around the center and a white border on the outside. "I'll make the first move."

Fray fanned out her five cards. She smiled as she drew her sixth. "All right, it looks like I already have my trump card, Nest of the Monarch. On its own, it does nothing, but it lets my insects use their true power to their fullest. I summon Fray Butterfly- Maria of the Music!" (100/100) A small blue butterfly appeared on Fray's field and began to fly around playfully with no real goal in mind. "She may not seem like much, but trust me; she's got a deadly power. I set one card and end my turn."

Hikaru drew her card.

A blue light flashed on the field and Maria disappeared. "My Fray Butterflies remove themselves from play during your standby phase. Then I get to Special Summon a new one from my hand. With my Nest on the field, I can search my deck for a new one first. So essentially, they become a lot like Gladiator Insects, except they have a harder time coming back once they leave." A new butterfly appeared on the duelist's field. It shone a bright golden yellow. Fray Butterfly- Linda the Lamenting." (400/100) "When she's summoned I can choose one Fray Butterfly I control and raise its attack by 1000. I of course have her raise her own attack." (1400/100)

"I summon Maho Shojo- Erica." (1400/1200) "Once per turn I can send the top card of my deck to the graveyard. And if it's a Maho Shojo, I get to Special Summon it to the field." A black haired soldier in a green sailor fuku appeared. She carried a bouquet of roses instead of the typical staff that most of her comrades used. She spun around and flung flowers into the air. Daffodils and azaleas rained down on both duelists, creating a sweet scented shower. Hikaru slowly flipped a card and slipped it into the graveyard. "It's a trap card," she explained. "I'll set one card from my hand and end my turn."

Fray drew. "I summon Will of the Wind." (800/500) A glowing green butterfly appeared next to Linda. "Now all Level 5 and low Fray Butterflies can attack directly!" The two butterflies waltzed through the air and soared high above the duelists. They quickly dove back down, dive bombing Hikaru, only to stop at the last second. Linda landed gently on Hikaru's nose while Will landed on her finger.

**Hikaru: 1800**

"Looks like this duel isn't going to last much longer, now is it?" Fray taunted. "I end my turn."

Hikaru's hands began to shake. Morganna only growled in frustration. "This is pathetic Hikaru. Don't allow this failure of a duelist to shake you up like this. I know what you're capable of. I've seen you duel. Do not disappoint me."

"Right," Hikaru nodded. "Ore no turn, draw!"

Fray smiled. "So my two Butterflies remove themselves from play and I get to bring out two more." The butterflies seemed to wave goodbye to Hikaru before vanishing. A black butterfly and a white butterfly replaced the last two. "And I bring out Najira the Nexus (1700/300) and Ileana the Iron. (300/2300) "I'll play Ileana in defense mode. Her effect raises the defense of all Fray Butterflies by 1000. (300/3300) "My Najira, on the other hand, takes the attack and defense of one of your monsters and reduces it to 0."

The black butterfly flapped its wings and sprinkled dust on Erica, reducing her stats to nothing. (0/0) "Next I activate my facedown trap card, Magnetic Gravitation. For its cost, I have to discard a card. I select one monster on your side of the field and one on mine. This turn, the two must battle. Naturally, I select my Iron Ileana as your only monster's attack target. Oh and here's the thing, you can't release the selected monster this turn, until after it attacks. So don't bother trying. You can't even declare any other attacks until the destined battle occurs. The only way out is an effect that would remove one of the two from the field or activate a card that stops your monster from attacking"

Hikaru moaned. "Well, here goes nothing. I normal summon Maho Shojo-Chiyo." (1000/1000) "She let's me grab a spell card from my deck, so I activate Magician's Unite to raise my Chiyo's attack to 3000. As a result, Erica can't attack this turn. Now I'll use her effect to send a card from my deck to the graveyard."

A beam of light shot up from the ground as out emerged Shizuka. (1400/1200) "She gives all my Maho Shojo cards 300 extra attack points. Your move, Fray."

"I'll activate Card of Sanctity to force us both to draw until we have six cards left in our hand." Fray grinned as she spread the new cards out in her hand. "I release my Ileana the Iron to summon Nevaeh the Night." (1800/1000) "Next I activate the Spell Card Frayed Light. By removing from play a Fray Butterfly in my graveyard I can draw three cards." She picked up a trio of new cards and selected two. "Now I'll remove these two from play," she said with a smile."

**Nevaeh the Night 2400**

**Najira the Nexus 2300**

"Thanks to Nevaeh, all my Frayed Butterflies gain 100 attack and defense for each removed from play Fray Butterfly," she explained. "So now I'm going to attack you with my monsters! Go, Nevaeh, strike down her Shizuka."

"Sorry, but I'm using Negate Attack. This card prevents any of your attacks from going through this turn." Hikaru allowed her trap to block the attack. "So now it's my turn!"

"And that means my butterflies vanish and let their friends take over." Fray quickly added two cards from her deck to her hand and slapped them onto her Duel Disk. "I bring out two Rita the Reds!" (1500/800) Two red butterflies began flapping their wings with enough force to blow Shizuka and Erica away. "When summoned, she returns one card on your side of the field to the top of your deck. Shizuka goes on top; I'm not letting you draw Erica just to Special Summon Shizuka with her effect again."

Hikaru gathered her cards and placed them on the top of her deck. "Well, I'm going to miss them." She said. "I activate the Spell Card Rune Breaker! I can send a two spells from my deck to the graveyard and destroy one Spell on the Field, so say good bye to your Nest!" Red, blue, and green lights burst forth from Hikaru's deck and zigzagged wildly before slamming into Nest of the Monarch. The Field Spell exploded. "Of course I have to shuffle my deck." Hikaru began mixing her cards again. _'Thank you Ashton.'_

"Hah, don't act like you've won just yet. You still haven't managed to touch my monsters."

Hikaru grimaced. _'She's right. She's much better than I am. Her deck is even more flexible than mine.'_

The young duelist pushed the thoughts out of her head. "I'll show you not to mess with me. I release Chiyo to summon Maho Shojo Megumi!" (2500/1200) Hikaru grinned. "So, now, where was I? Oh yeah. Attack Rita the Red!" Magic burst forth from Megumi's outstretched hand. One of the red butterflies exploded into millions of pixels.

**Fray 3000**

"I set two cards. Your move, Fray."

"Not impressed at all," Fray taunted. "I still have a huge lead, and I have the perfect cards to destroy you," she explained as her hand grew to six cards. "OI summon another Linda the Lamenting." (400/100) "I guess I can raise her own attack with her effect, but it doesn't matter. She'll vanish soon enough. You see, when Maria is removed from play, I can send her to the grave and use her as the tuner for a Synchro Summon."

"What?"

"And the other monsters will be removed from play." Fray watched her two butterflies explode into stars of light and merge with a phantasmal third butterfly. "On the wish of a whim, destiny tangles around a spiral of fate. Lost in the ineffable mysteries of life a cry echoes unheard. A plea with the stars and a prayer to the universe itself go unanswered. The butterfly breaks free from its cocoon. Synchro Shokan, Fray Butterfly- Flutterwish Breaker!" (2500/2100) A large white butterfly with glowing golden wings gracefully descended from the sky. 'When she's Special Summoned I can special summon a removed from play Fray Butterfly, so I'll bring back my Najira and reduce your Megumi's attack to nothing."

Najira appeared and sprinkled some pollen on Megumi, bringing the Maho Shojo to her knees.

"Attack her, Flutterbreak!" Fray commanded. Her butterfly launched a storm at the defenseless girl. Fierce winds tore toward her.

"I activate my trap card, Runetastic Defense. I can switch one Spellcaster on the field to defense. And if it gets destroyed this turn I can draw one card."

Megumi braced herself for impact as blades of wind cut through her. Hikaru drew a card.

"First of all, when my Flutterwish destroys a monster, I can Special Summon a removed from play Fray Butterfly, though it can not attack this turn. So I pick Rita and you're your face down to the top of your deck. Now, attack her directly, Najira."

The butterfly launched a gentle offensive, tackling Hikaru from above. It felt like nothing ore than a tickle, but the damage to her Life Points was evident.

**Hikaru: 100**

"Ore no turn!" Hikaru called out.

"And my three cards remove themselves from lay and I bring out three new cards from my hand." Fray smiled. "Two Ileanas (300/2300) and a Will of the Wind." (800/500) "All in defense of course. And don't forget, Ileana raises their defenses by 1000. And with two, that means a 2000 point boost."

"I set that card again." Hikaru sighed. _'Next turn, she can switch them to attack mode and attack directly thanks to Will.'_

Hikaru prayed her next card would help. "I activate the Spell Card, Future Trap. By paying half my Life Points I can discard a Spellcaster in my hand. Then I pick up cards equal to that monsters level and I can activate one Continuous Trap from those cards. The rest get shuffled back into my deck. So I discard a Level 5 monster and pick up five cards," she explained. "And I activate the Trap Card Spirit Barrier. I can't take damage if I control a monster." Hikaru smiled. _'Naota was right, this card is pretty cool.'_

**Hikaru 50**

"Well then, I hope you have a good monster to show me."

"I activate the Spell Card Caster Reborn. On the condition that I give up my normal summon. I am allowed to revive a fallen Spellcaster. So I bring back my Megumi!" (2500/1200) "Your move."

Fray drew and smiled. "I activate another Card of Sanctity!"

'But, you're allowed only one in your deck!" Hikaru protested.

"Not necessarily, Hikaru." Fray gave a smug look of satisfaction. "Different worlds have different ban lists and restriction lists. In this world, there aren't any."

"What do you mean different worlds?" Hikaru demanded.

"I'm afraid I have said too much." Fray said with a smile. "I release Will and one of my Ileanas to normal summon Dark Tuner-Unsaved Life!"*** (0/0) **A twisted husk appeared on Fray's side of the field. "Next I'll send it to the graveyard along with my Rita to bring out my next card. Dark twisted lives , tortured cruelly. Humans are nothing but a toy for the hands of fate. Broken and used until they are tossed aside so callously by the wheels of fate. The world revolves onward while you wither and rot, forgotten by those around you. Dark Synchro Shokan- Fray Butterfly- Caesar's Cocoon." (0/0) A black cocoon began growing behind Fray until it was larger than a two-story house. "When this monster attacks, it gains 1000 attack for each removed from play Fray Butterfly."

"But that's," she gulped. _'At least I have my trap card. And chances are that thing will remove itself from play soon enough.'_

"Now, don't worry, there are some bright sides to this. Since I used Unsaved Life, all monsters previously on the field are removes from play."

Hikaru watched in fear as her monster vanished. She looked at one of the cards she had just drawn. _'Kurinin, I'm glad you're here.' _

Fray smiled ash she pointed her finger at Hikaru. "Atta," before she could finish, a stranger appeared and grabbed her hand.

"Dr. D, what are you doing here?"

Dr. D had pale skin and uncombed gray hair. He wore a white lab coat with a long tail, brown pants, black gloves, and black armor-like boots.

"Sorry Fray, but you've been given special orders. You are to depart immediately."

"But I was just about to, fine," Fray deactivated her Duel Disk. "Consider yourself lucky, Hikaru, I'll beat you another day." The duo vanished into a mysterious black portal.

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -**

*** Yeah go ahead and kill me for the bad joke.**

**Awwww I didn't even get to use the Fray Moths.**

**Also, Dr. D belongs to my friend Lonely Ghost666. He has a bunch of cool stories, I recommend you check them out. If you need a place to start I suggest beginning with Dueling unlimited. It has a ninja!**


	35. Omake Special: One Year Anniversary

**Bursting through the Dimensional Barrier**

**Yu-Gi-Oh GX Fanfic Omake Special**

**Kira's Castle**

**The Foredestined Battle of Fate**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not Yu-Gi-Oh, GX, Haruhi Suzumiya, XxXHolic, Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles or Guitar Hero or FLCL or Pokémon or Legend of Zelda or Kiddy Grade **

**Shawn belongs to Lonely Ghost666 anbd his story Dueling Unlimited**

**Masurao belongs to Arcana Force XIII 'Thanatos' and his story Our War Game  
**

**Author's Note**: **Well, this came out way worse than I expected. I also wanted to have a regular chapter ready to go with it, but that didn't work out too well.  
**

I nervously walked up to the stage and looked out at the room. Everyone waited nervously. They sat at tables with tables covered with white clothes. Food piled their plates. I could smell everything. Meat, pizza, sushi, and teriyaki filled the room with combating aromas. It was an epic clash of scents. Naota fiddled his thumbs as he sat down next to Hikaru. "Dang it, Tsuki-ouji, I'm scared, you do the introductions." I pushed my teenage friend toward the microphone.

He stumbled forward but quickly regained his composure.

I got down on my knees and began to pray to the one true God. "Dear Haruhi Suzumiya, if you can hear my plea, please bring luck to this party."

'_Someone is going to kill you for referring to Haruhi as the one true God,' _warned a judgmental voice in the back of my head.

'_Shut up, K2,' _I shot back at the voice.

Tsuki quickly raised a fan in front of his face. "Thank you all for coming. As you know, it is the one-year anniversary of Broken Dreams. And seeing as we're somewhere near the end of the first season, Kira-kun decided to bring you all this non-cannon omake special."

I looked at my other guests; I could see the cast of two of my other favorite GX stories. Lonely Ghost666's Dueling Unlimited and Arcana Force XIII 'Thanatos' Our War Game. They patiently sat at their tables, waiting for the chance to eat. _'Too bad Thanny couldn't make it, but at least Tsuki's here.'_

Nayuta looked bored and let out a yawn. I turned to Ghost-sama. "Ghost, thanks for helping out."

"No problem," he said with a smile.

"Tonight, we've prepared a party for all of you." Tsuki continued. "And a special movie. It features a duel between Hikaru and the protagonists of two other GX fanfics on this site."

Yuko didn't seem to be paying attention. She just drank from her bottle of sake. Next to her sat a cute black bunny rabbit thing. She…He…whatever drank from its own bottle of sake. _ 'That's so like them,' _I thought to myself. Himawari, Doumeki, Kohane, and Watanuki sat on the same table. _'Hmmmm, so I've got most of the important characters from XxXHolic, but where's my dear OC Hiromu?' _I ignored the mystery and turned to the last of my guests. The other Mokona, a cute white bunny thing sat on the lap of a certain Princess …Sakura. Next to the beautiful princess sat a young man with brown hair. He was dressed all in green. Also on their table were a blonde haired mage and a black haired ninja. _'Maybe I can start a ninja battle later…nah, poor Shawn wouldn't stand a chance._'

I sighed. '_Almost everyone is here, the cast from_ _Holic and Tsubasa. From the three GX stories. Maybe I should have invited Ryan as well, just for fun, or maybe even Ria, Gaia, and Ame from that other story I need to start.'_

"Without further delay, let the movie begin!"

The light faded and a projector cast an image onto the white screen behind Tsukiyomaru.

Words appeared on the screen reading

**Castle of the Divine Synchro**

**The Uncannon Crossover Movie**

**Part One**

**(I was planning this way before that Fusion thingy)**

_If only humankind could see the truth hidden beyond the stars. We yearn for it and reach out to grasp it. Our fragile hands clasp nothing and are torn apart by the realization of our pointless attempts to feign maturity and intelligence. We are all nothing more than idiots._

A young teenager named Shawn sat in his dorm room looking at the morning sky outside the window. The clouds seemed angled toward his room as if they were trying to give his location away to some higher force. A squirrel merrily scampered by, happily chewing on a nut. Attached top its back was a small note held on only by a thin rubber band. _'That's strange,' _thought the boy. He pushed his window open and began to run after the furry animal. His dorm room was shaped like a pyramid, so he had to be careful not to slip and fall. But with his ninja training, a task like that was really easy for him.

The squirrel turned around a corner, running at a frantic pace in an effort to escape his pursuer. He ditched his nut over the side of the building and gained a useful speed boost. It raced along the sloped roof and hopped toward the ground. Unintimidated by the squirrel's elite ninja skills, Shawn pulled off one of his favorite maneuvers, sliding down along the edge of the roof to reach the base. Once on level ground he gained a great speed boost and scooped the creature up with one hand. He took off the rubber band and began reading the attached note.

Dear Shawn,

Greetings to everyone's favorite dueling ninja. We knew you'd be able to capture the squirrel. Sorry for not bringing this note to you directly, but we felt it would be more entertaining for us if we got to see your 1337 ninja skillz for ourselves.

We are inviting you to a Special Duel. You and two other powerful duelists have been selected to participate in a three-way match. The winner will be granted a single wish of their heart's desire.

If you wish to participate, then do not worry. We will be arriving to collect you shortly.

If you do not wish to participate, then we do apologize, you really have no say in the matter.

Sincerely Yours,

_The Mancala Twins_

'_That's strange, what an odd letter.' _He was about to look around when a soft whooshing noise caught his attention. He back flipped through the air and watched a karate chop slice through the empty space his head had occupied only seconds earlier.

"You missed, Kafei, now we need to do this the hard way," said one of the two teens now facing him. They both looked like they were around thirteen or so. One was a girl and the other a boy. The boy, Kafei, had soft purple hair that fell to his shoulders and the girl had pink hair in the exact same hairstyle as her. Their white robes flapped around their feet as a strong wind picked up. Purple edges bordered his outfit while pink lace bordered hers.

"You're right, Asheiko," Kafei said as he stepped forward. "Shawn, we would appreciate it if you came with us quietly. We don't have the luxury of spare time. We're on a tight schedule you see."

Shawn gave the duo a dubious glance. "Who are you two and what do you want?"

"Simple," began Asheiko. "We are the Mancala twins. We want you to come with us. Please do not force us to take drastic measures."

"Look, I don't know who you two are, but I'm very busy. I have to get ready for class soon."

"All classes have been cancelled for today, Shawn," Kafei explained. "And they'll be cancelled forever if you don't come with us." Kafei moved in a blur, not even Shawn's eyes could keep up with his speed. The ninja quickly raised an arm to block the incoming kick aimed at his head.

"You're good," Asheiko observed. "Too bad for you we don't fight fair." She held up a glowing mirror in a small silver frame. Inside was a reflection of Shawn's friend Jewels. Small black clouds of darkness gathered around her throat as she slept. They took the form of skeletal claws, ready to choke the life out of her.

"Dammit," Shawn swore. "Leave her out of it."

"So I suppose this means you submit?" Kafei grabbed Shawn by the wrist and pulled him into a portal of darkness.

**To be Continued**

"Who the Hell wrote this script?" Tsuki asked.

"Well, I was short on time and needed to come up with something quick before the anniversary passed.

'_That's what you get for procrastinating,' _K2 scolded.

Shawn looked nervously at his girlfriend Jewels.

"So what happens next?" She asked. "And what's that Fusion thingy the movie talked about?"

"I haven't seen the whole thing," he admitted. "I think the Our War Game world is part two. After Masurao and Hikaru get kidnapped, we end up dueling. We filmed three separate endings so I don't even know who won. As for the Fusion thingy. No clue."

"I'm surprised though, why didn't Kira try to contact Haseo if he was filming a movie. Haseo is an actor after all."

"I feel bad for him, he wasn't even invited," Shawn admitted.

Cassie, a girl whose black hair was in a high ponytail, took the opportunity to explain. "It's because, Kira, Ghost, Tsuki, and the currently absent Thanatos all share OCs. So certain characters will appear in multiple stories, sometimes with entirely different personalities. Take Haseo as an example. In our world, he's nice and friendly. but in our War Game he's a manipulative jerk."

"Grammy says that you shouldn' mess with space time paradoxes like that. It can get pretty dangerous," added in their friend Dean. A short looking girl with pigtails rolled her eyes at the statement.

"And yet Kira's brought Tsubasa and XxXHolic into this." Sighed a certain familiar OC."I'm sorry, my name is Hiromu," he explained. He quickly crawled underneath the table. The cloth draped over his hiding spot, hiding him well, just as all good hiding spots should. "Shhh, don't tell anyone I'm here."

Though very confused, the friends said nothing.

**Part Two**

**In Which We Introduce Masu…rao? **

**(I think)**

_Humans. Pathetic, worthless, meaningless. Forget all that ever was for nothing shall ever be. The cosmos shall cease and all shall fall. Come now humans and dance with me in the shadows of darkest despair._

In a Duel Academy, somewhere in an alternate dimension, a Red Student looked at himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. _'So sleepy, shouldn't stay up all night playing Guitar Hero with Lo.' _ A bright purple image flashed in the mirror. "Someone there?" He asked as he spun around.

"You know, you shouldn't leave your deck out in the open where anyone could steal it so easily," Kafei taunted. He held up a deck of Duel Monster cards.

"Hey those are mine, give them back." He demanded.

"…..right, that's going to work," Asheiko sighed. "Are you always this dull?"

Before either twin could react, Masurao lunged forward and reached for his deck. He wrapped his hand around Kafei's wrist. He tightened his grip as his other hand reached for his deck. With a swift spin, the young boy was able to break free from the older male's grip.

"Try harder," he taunted.

Asheiko jumped into the air and brought her leg down on Masurao's head, knocking him to the floor. "That was easy," she commented as she bent over to grab Masurao. The boy quickly sprung to his feet and snatched his deck away. He ran for the door and sprinted outside.

"Come back Masu-kun," Asheiko called out. "You can't run forever."

In a swirl of darkness, Kafei appeared in front of Masurao, barring his path. "Sorry, but we need you for our ritual. We need three duelists from across the multiverse in order to unlock an ancient power. But don't worry, it's not like there won't be anything in it for you. If you win then you'll have a wish granted."

Masurao activated his Duel Disk. "Looks like I don't have any choice. Fine, beat me in a duel and I'll go with you," he said with a grin.

"Sorry, we haven't the time." Asheiko appeared behind the boy and Karate chopped him unconscious. "See, Kafei, that's how you karate chop someone."

"No fair, Shawn's a ninja; this kid's just an ordinary human."

Kafei opened a swirling vortex of darkness and stepped through with his sister. When they emerged, they found themselves in a new world.

Tall oak trees covered the island as far as they could see. Wild animals stalked each other on the forest floor. A small cat like creature with black and silver stripes hungrily gave chase after a small pug like thing. Suddenly, the pig creature spun around and shot a breath of fire at the cat.

'_Amashio, the world where logic is beginning to vanish,' _Kafei thought to himself sadly. _'If we don't do something soon, our entire world is going to crumble.'_

'_Don't worry,' _Asheizo thought. _'Everyone, Kafei and I are going to save the world. We'll do whatever it takes. Even if it means destroying every other world in existence.'_

**To Be Continued**

"What do you mean you think?" Tsuki questioned.

"Truth be told, I can rarely remember the difference between Masurao and Masato in your stories. It's because I have a bad memory and their names both begin in Mas and end in o. While we're confessing, remember that time I suggested you name a character Masahi. That was a typo. I do like the name though."

"What was it supposed to be?" Ghost asked out of curiosity.

"That is irrelevant," I answered.

Masurao quickly swallowed his last piece of pie and followed with a glass of soda. He proceeded to move onto a pile of pop tarts. "So hungry," he moaned.

"Didn't they feed you while filming the movie?" Asked his friend Masato.

"Like that's any reason not to enjoy free food," protested Loaño as she stuffed her face with French-fries.

"True," Celena admitted. "Though I wish you two wouldn't make such a scene, it's a little embarrassing."

I sighed as I watched the blank screen. "Okay everyone," I called out. "Break time before part three of the movie. Now as you all know, my planning skills are horrible. I haven't even begun to explore Nayuta's past or Ryou's. Emi's is meant to be mysterious for now. So today, we will finally get to hear Nayuta showing off her singing skills. Sadly, thanks to copyright laws, we can't have her sing any real songs, so you'll have to settle for something I made up. Just imagine whatever melody you want."

Nayuta stepped up to the stage. She wore a beautiful sparking red dress and a ribbon in her hair.

"Everyone, thanks for coming to the party," she said into the microphone. "I'm apparently supposed to entertain you. Sorry about that, but I really have no choice. I know we all just want to hurry up and watch the movie, right?" She chuckled nervously. "Sorry the song sucks, Kira wrote it."

"Three years ago!" I protested.

She took a deep breath, and the music began playing.

.

_Okay I Must Confess_

_That I don't Impress_

_Myself Much at All_

_._

_See it's True_

_I Don't know what to do_

_I'm Lost in all that is and isn't_

_But When I see You_

_Things Just Come Together_

_._

_Okay_

_I Guess There's Just no Way_

_But I have to Say_

_I Wish I could be with you Forever_

_._

_(Maybe it's Love)_

_Or Maybe it's Admiration_

_(When You Smile)_

_You Give me the Inspiration_

_To Give Everything my All_

_You make me Feel Like Tryin'_

_._

_When_

_I'm Just Feeling Down_

_With my Face frozen in a Frown_

_You Just come Around_

_You cast Away my Sorrow_

_._

_Sometimes_

_I Dream_

_That I have Self-Esteem_

_That I'm not Always Cryin'_

_._

_But in Truth_

_That's far from what is Real_

_Somehow I always Feel_

_Like my Heart is Dyin'_

_._

_But When you look at me_

_I Feel so Happy_

_I Know it's a Little Silly_

_But you show me what I could be_

_._

_(Maybe it's Love)_

_Or Maybe it's Admiration_

_(When You Smile)_

_You Give me the Inspiration_

_To Get up and Go_

_It's You that lets me Know_

_I can Chase my Dreams_

_I Guess You Give me Hope_

_._

"Sometimes I dream that I have self-esteem? How emo do you have to be to come up with this? This is why assonance is so much better than pure rhymes," Nayuta whined. She quickly stormed off the stage.

"Anyway during the next break, I'll tell you a bit more about the evolution of some of my characters."

**Part Three**

**Destiny Calls or Some Crap Like that**

**(I Don't Really Care Anymore**

**I Just want to get to the Duels)**

_Cry, cry, and cry some more. Your tears amuse me. Your lives mean nothing. I will end it all. Die, die, and die again. Turn to ash. Fly away. Fade away into darkness, into nothingness. You scream. I laugh. You weep. I smile. I'll crush you beneath my feet._

Hikaru smiled as she did something. I don't really care what it is at this point. She was umm, fixing her deck. "Okay, Dimension Magic is Great Monster Destruction but do I really need three. If I don't have any monsters in my hand it could end up being dead weight."

The moon hung in the night sky. She glanced out through Naota's window, trying to get a clearer picture of the stars. "Ophiuchus," she whispered as she noticed the constellation. She glanced at Naota's bed, where the boy slept. His body tossed and turned like he was having a vivid nightmare.

"Yuu," he whispered.

Hikaru let out a sigh and forced a smile. "Don't worry, Ta-kun. You'll see him again one day."

"Sad isn't it," whispered a voice. Hikaru spun around to find herself looking into Kafei's eyes.

"Sorry if I startled you. Appearing right behind people just happens to be one of my favorite hobbies."

"Mine to," Asheiko said from behind Hikaru.

The Obelisk Blue student quickly stepped to the side. "Okay, who are you two and why are you in here?"

"Why are you in here?" Taunted Kafei. "First thing that comes to mind is something naughty, but you and your boyfriend are both fully clo," Kafei found himself flat on his back staring directly at the ceiling.

"Wow, that was bad. She's not even a ninja," laughed Asheiko.

"Well, she caught me off guard," Kafei justified. He quickly got up to his feet. "Look, we want you to come with us. We want you to duel two other people for us. There's even a little something in it for you, if you win."

Asheiko smiled. "Win the duel and we'll grant any wish of yours."

'_Any wish,' _she thought. _'How can I trust them?' _She thought it over for a moment. _'It isn't any crazier than the story of the Octogram.' _She thought long and hard.*****

"Fine, I'll go with you," she decided.

"In that case, wait, what?" Kafei paused. "Asheiko?"

"Yeah, I think she just agreed. Well, that's good for us I guess."

"Seems kind of stupid of her though." Kafei said, grabbing Hikaru's hand.

"I just hope this doesn't turn out to be something stupid like we have to use our wish to get home," Hikaru sighed.

**To be Continued**

***Don't you dare.**

Ross stood up from his seat. Instead of his school uniform, he wore a brown T-shirt and camo shorts. He framed his mouth with his hands and bellowed out, "That's what she,"

Hikaru's fist met his balls and he slumped over in pain.

"Oomph," he grunted.

"Hmmm, oddly enough he's hasn't had much of a chance to show that side of himself in this world." I commented to Tsuki. "Anyway I almost forgot he was in this story. Usually I only include him as a minor character and so that I have someone to hit in the crotch. I spent the entire beach chapter trying to find an opportunity for Hikaru to kick him in the nuts. It never came," I concluded. I hung my head sadly.

Naota looked at me pleadingly. "He wants to see Yuu," I thought to myself. "Even though he knows that he won't remember any of this party in the morning, he wants to see Yuu."

I stepped up to the microphone. "Now it's time for a little bit of a history lesson. Hikaru happens to be one of my favorite Japanese names. I've used it for a few different characters, both male and female, before settling on the character known as Hikaru Reinhardt. Even then, she wasn't finalized. Her hair switched back and forth between black and blonde, and her personality changes every now and then. A fun fact, originally, she was a year older than Naota, than two, before I finally decided to make them the same age."

I snapped my finger and pointed at Naota. "Naota is named after the main character of the FLCL anime. I love that show! But that isn't important. You see, his personality slowly slid downhill from a normal human being who occasionally messes up into a train wreck. That's mostly because I want him to be able to grow. In most stories, he misses his childhood friend Yuu. That's my fault really. I won't get into details though because you probably don't care too much about my personal life."

"Now there's Yuu. He's the most recent of the three. He's also usually one of the most powerful characters I have. I originally intended for him to go the entire story without losing, up until he dueled Yugi, but I decided that wouldn't be too fun. He's supposed to be really good but I feel bad. He only beat Linden because he had Pikachu and he ended up losing to Ryou Bakura."

"And one more thing," I began with a smile. "In case you're wondering. Yuu, Naota, and Hikaru are all,"

Tsuki grabbed the microphone. "Moving on, we bring you to Part Four of the movie."

I turned to Ghost. "I hope you don't mind some of the cards I threw into Shawn's deck. It was getting late, I wanted to hurry up and write, and my computer was running too slowly to keep switching chapters. Speaking of chapters, I love the plot twist in chapter 43! I never would have guessed that Strafe's parents were," the movie interrupted me.

**Part 4**

**Hurry up and Duel Already**

**(We're Working With an Excuse Plot Anyway)**

_Soon, soon, soon, soon, soon, soon, soon, soon, soon, soon, soon, soon._

Shawn looked up from his cold jail cell. The stone floor sent chills through his body, causing him to shiver. He wiggled his wrists around until they slipped free from their shackles. _'I can't remember the last time I was this glad to be a ninja.' _He thought to himself. He reached into his shoe and retrieve red a small pin. He moved to the jail door and began picking the lock. "Voila," he said to himself as the door slid open.

He looked around at the other jail cells and found another boy around his age. He began picking that lock too. "Hey, wake up. I'm getting us out of here."

Masurao's eyes slowly peeled open and adjusted to his surroundings. "Where am I?" He asked.

"I don't know, but I think it's best we get out of here," Shawn suggested, offering a hand to the boy. "So what's your name?"

"Masurao," he answered.

"My name is Shawn," the ninja replied. Footsteps echoed down the hall, heading toward the jail cells. "Looks like they're heading our way; be prepared to run. I'll hold them off and join you."

"Not likely," Asheiko said, appearing at Shawn's side. Her foot sped toward his head.

"I don't want to fight a girl, but rest assured, I will if I have to." He quickly blocked and back flipped, landing on a small ledge above the jail cell door.

"Nice move, ninja. Protect yourself and leave the little kid exposed," Kafei pulled a small knife out of his pocket and held it to Masurao's neck.

Shawn countered by tossing a small ball at the ground. It exploded, releasing a cloud of smoke. He leapt down and grabbed Masurao's wrist. "Follow me," he called out as he dashed forward. Masurao struggled to keep up with the ninja's frantic pace.

"Like I have a choice."

They dashed into the main hallway where they saw a blonde haired girl staring at them. They barely stopped to notice the room. A red carpet led from large wooden doors to a throne of gold sitting near the back wall. Windows were carved out of the stone wall to allow sunlight in. "Look out," Masurao cried as he and Shawn dashed around Hikaru.

Se could only stare in wonder as Asheiko and Kafei chased after them.

'_I wonder why they aren't teleporting,' _she wondered. _'Knowing them they probably think this is more fun.'_

Shawn pushed the doors open and gasped as he saw the trees everywhere.

"So,' began Kafei, once you get out of here, where exactly do you plan on going?"

Shawn growled. _'I hoped we'd be able to find our way to safety and call someone for help, but there's no way we can both survive out there without any food. I'm a ninja and I can take care of myself, but Masurao is an ordinary kid.'_

Kafei slowly walked toward the duo. "Look, just duel these two and then we'll take you all home. We'll even grant the winner's wish."

"You love to duel, so what's the harm in a friendly game?" Asheiko asked.

"Alright," Shawn agreed. "He turned to Masurao, let's all just duel and get this over with. If they keep their promise than that's the end. If not, we'll just go on from there."

Hikaru stepped forward. "So, your names are Shawn and Masurao, right," she asked. "My name is Hikaru."

"Before we get started, what kind of wish?" Shawn asked. "You've obviously all got some kind of magic powers, but how strong are your abilities?"

"Strong enough to raise the dead." Kafei said bluntly. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have places to go, I sense that someone is near. Someone who needs to be stopped."

.

**Masurao 4000**

**Shawn 4000**

**Hikaru 4000**

"So, nobody attacks on the first turn?" Suggested Hikaru. The others nodded.

Shawn examined his Life Points. _'Only 4000? I'll have to be careful then.'_

Masurao fanned out the five cards he held. "I'll go first," he announced, drawing his sixth card. "I summon Six Samurai- Zanji!" (1800/1300) His warrior appeared on the field, standing in a battle ready position. "I set two cards and end my turn," Masurao announced.

"My move," cried Hikaru as she drew her sixth card. "I summon Maho Shojo Emi!" (1200/1100) and use her effect to draw a card!" She quickly slapped her next card down onto her Duel Disk. "Pot of Greed lets me draw two more. I'll set two and I end my turn."

Shawn went last. "I summon Neo-Ninja of Kusarigamajutsu (1600/1200) An orange haired man swung his weapon around his head in a violent arc, threatening to slice any who neared him. "I set two cards and end my turn." The Neo-Ninja wrapped the chain of his weapon around Masurao's Samurai. "During my endphase I can select one monster and it won't be able to attack until my next turn."

Masurao's hand improved by a single card. "I summon Six Samurai- Nisashi!" (1400/700) "When I control two or more Six Samurai with different names, their effects kick in. Nisashi can attack twice in the same battlephase. Next, I'll activate The A. Forces. Now all my Warriors gain 200 attack per Warrior I control. To top that off, I control two Six Samurai so I can Special Summon Shien from my hand!" Great Shogun Shien descended to the field. (2500/2400) "Now you guys can only activate one spell or trap a turn!"  
Hikaru grimaced. _'With his A. Forces out that makes his Shien a 3100 point beatstick. I can't overpower, so I need to rely on Spells and Traps.'_

"Go, Shien, attack his Neo-Ninja!"

Great Shogun Shien raised his blade. The Red Armored Shogun lumbered toward the Neo-Ninja and prepared to stroke. Neo-Ninja of Kusarigamajutsu was too quick. He spun the weighted end of his weapon around Shien's leg, pulling it out from under him. He charged forward and brought his sickle down on the Shogun's head, but Shien blocked with his own weapon. With his superior strength, he pushed the ninja off him. He let out a grunt off effort as he sprung upward and sliced through is target in one fluid motion.

**Shawn 2500**

"I activate Call of the Haunted to bring my Ninja back," Shawn announced as his ninja returned from the dead.

"Well then, I guess I'll just kill him again," Masurao announced, "Go, Nisashi. Attack!"

Nisashi rushed forward and exchanged blows with Kusarigamajutsu. Sparks lit up the air as metal scraped against metal, filling the castle with an empty hollow echoing shriek. _'If this gets through I take 400 damage and possibly 2000 more from a direct attack. That'll bring me down to 100 Life Points.'_

Kusarigamajutsu back flipped like his master and began lashing out with his chain sickle. He held off the attacks for a few moments, cautiously keeping Nisashi at bay. Hikaru decided to intervene. "I activate the Trap Card, Maho no Go, and by discarding a Level 5 Spellcaster from my hand I can destroy all my opponent's Spells and Traps!" She slid a card into her graveyard and watched as fire fell from the sky and sent Masurao's cards to their graves.

Nisashi's attack dropped lower than the ninja's.

Said ninja wrapped his chain around one of Nisashi's swords and tore it from his hand. He gripped his remaining sword with both hands and blocked an incoming attack from the kusarigama. The Ninja jumped forward and brought his foot down on Nisashi's head, knocking the warrior into the ground. A single blow from his kusarigama ended it all for the Six Samurai monster.

Or it would have, had Zanji not tackled the ninja off his ally. He pushed Neo Ninja of Kusarigamajutsu to the ground and raised his sword in preparation to behead the enemy. "When one Six Samurai would be destroyed, I may destroy another instead," Masurao explained.

The ninja pulled on the wire of his kusarigama and sent the scythed end roaring through the air. It plunged into Zanji's back.

Nisashi could only watch in horror as his comrade fell to his knees and vanished.

**Masurao 3800**

"Since he's still around, I guess I'll use his second attack now, and destroy Emi!" Masurao silently swore vengeance as Nisashi attacked the young girl.

"Wow, what a great and honorable samurai you are, attacking a little girl like that," Hikaru chastised. She watched her Spellcaster fall easily, accepting her inevitable defeat with grace.

**Hikaru: 3800**

"I end my turn," Masurao stated.

Hikaru began her second turn and drew a card, bringing her hand to five. _'Only one spell a turn, that's not good for my deck. And I don't have anything that could get rid of Shien. I wish I had kept my three Dimension Magics.' _She carefully examined her hand. "I summon Maho Shojo Emi to the field once more!" (1200/1100) She grabbed another card.

"A monster that gives you a free draw, I'm surprised it isn't limited to one," Shawn commented.

"Yeah, well, too bad," Hikaru teased as she looked at her new card. "I activate the Spell card Dimension Magic! By offering Emi I can Special summon Kimiko from my hand!" (1600/1400) The new maiden appeared and doused Shien in flames. "When one of your monsters is destroyed by a Spell or Trap effect, you take 600 damage!"

Nisashi pushed Shien put of the current of fire and vanished instead. "A samurai would gladly offer his life for his lord," Masurao explained. "And since he was destroyed by a monster effect, I take no damage."

'_Dang it, that thing is still around. We have to be careful.'_ She placed a face down. "Your move."

She waited for Shawn to take his turn.

'_If I draw that card, what should I do with it? I don't want to hurt anyone, but Kafei said any wish,' _the ninja's wavering resolve toyed with his mind a bit. "I summon Neo-Ninja of Shurikenjutsu!" (1200/1100) The new card had spiky blue hair and wore a grey coat. "Once per turn I can take an equip card from my deck and add it to my hand!" He searched through his cards and pulled one out. "I activate the Equip Spell Card Ultimate Forbidden Scroll. It can only be equipped to a monster with Neo-Ninja in its name. The equipped monster gains 1500 attack points but is destroyed during my next standby phase. In addition I'll take 1000 points of damage at that time!" Shurikenjutsu grabbed the scroll and unraveled it as his attack soared to 2700 points, just enough to beat Shien. He jumped into the air and grinned. Shuriken flew out of the scroll like birds out of a tree. The darkened the room as they crashed toward Shien. He bravely tried to fend off as many Shuriken as he could, but one scraped his armor, tearing a sizeable chunk away. Another slashed across his cheek, sending blood to the castle floor.

Shien fell, leaving his master unprotected. _'I should have paid closer attention to those lessons on trap management,' _he thought to himself.

"By sending an equip card equipped to himself to the grave," Shawn began, "Shurikenjutsu can gain another attack, so strike Masurao directly!" The Neo-Ninja discarded the scroll and opened his cloak, revealing enough shuriken to kill a field of buffalo. He began firing away, drowning Masurao in a metal storm of stars.

**Masurao: 2000**

"Now, attack him directly, Kusarigamajutsu!" Shawn ordered. His Neo-Ninja swung his Kusarigama with grace and tossed it at the unguarded boy.

Hikaru defiantly raised her hand. "Mirror Force, activate!"

A mirror image of Kusarigamajutsu appeared and swung his weapon at the real thing. Shawn watched his card's weapon tear through the mirror and grimaced at what he knew was to come. Gigantic mirror shards rained down on his field, impaling both of his helpless ninja.

Kimiko took the opportunity to baptize him in a deluge of flames.

**Shawn: 1300**

"Sorry, I couldn't let you use your ninja's stalling effect on Kimiko," she explained.

"I set two cards and end my turn."

Masurao smiled as he drew the perfect card. "I summon Enishi by removing from play two Six Samurai Monsters in my graveyard." (2200/1200) The Chancellor of the Six Samurai examined the field and determined there to be only one target. He drew his blade and sliced straight through Kimiko. "Once per turn he can destroy any monster on the field. Now that leaves you wide open, Hikaru. Direct Attack!"

Hikaru braced herself for the blades as the swiped through her body, cutting her Life Points drastically."

**Hikaru: 1800**

"I set two cards and end my turn." Masurao announced.

Hikaru wished with all her might as she drew. _'I want to see him again!'_

Shawn watched with unflinching eyes. _'I want to bring him back.'_

Masurao wished with all his heart. _'I will duel Haseo!'_

"I summon Maho Shojo- Natsume!" (1100/0) "When she's summoned I can remove from play one Spellcaster from my hand and raise her attack by 1500 until the end of the turn!" Natsume's attack rose to 2600. _'This is risky, but I have to do it!'_

"Attack Enishi!" She called out.

"Sorry, but I'm going to interfere this time." The ninja boy exclaimed. "I activate the trap card, Ninja's Shadow Trap! When you declare an attack I have no monsters on the field I can Special Summon a Neo-Ninja from my deck and you must attack that monster. So I bring out Neo Ninja of Naginatajutsu!"(1800/1150) A warrior appeared and spun his naginata around, pointing it directly at Natsume's throat as she charged in for the kill. "You seem oddly like a bit of a berserker for a Magical Girl. "Well, sorry for this, but I activate the trap card, Boomerang Trick. I can equip one Warrior Monster with an Equip Spell from my graveyard, but that Equip Spell is destroyed at the end of the turn. In addition, the monster I select through this effect gains 400 extra attack points. So I equip Naginatajutsu with my Scroll, bringing his attack up to 3700."

Naginatajutsu warped the shaft of his weapon in the Forbidden Scroll. He tossed it through the air and watched it slice through Natsume. The scroll unraveled and fell to the ground, but the naginata returned to its master's hand.

**Hikaru: 700**

"I set two cards face down and end my turn," Hikaru stated.

Shawn drew. "Now that I think about it, maybe I should have let you destroy Enishi. Or maybe not. I activate Card of Sanctity, so we all draw until we have six cards in our hand. Next I summon Neo-Ninja of Taijutsu!" (2000/1000) "He may not have an effect, but he does help raise his ally's attack. See, Naginatajutsu gets a power boost for each Neo Ninja on the field other than himself." Shawn's monster gained 300 attack points. "Now I activate Double Summon to bring out Kiba Dog of Undying Loyalty!" (1400/1450) A large German Sheppard began growling at the others. "Now my warriors are immune to trap cards." Shawn smiled. "Sorry guys, but it's all over for you. I set one card face down and activate Card Destruction!" They all knew what to do, and got rid of their old hands in favor of new ones. "Next I activate my face down Monster Reborn to bring back Rookie of a Thousand Destinies."

A monster appeared on his field. It bore an uncanny resemblance to himself.

"Now, this monster is perhaps one of the strongest in the entire game. He starts out as a warrior type, but his type changes to whatever I primarily hold on my field. In this case, he's still a warrior. Then, his attack becomes their combined total attack, and the same for defense!" (4100/2450) "Now he can attack as many times as there are monsters I control of the same type."

"What?" Hikaru gasped. "No way, that card is too powerful!"

"Yeah, that's broken," Masurao protested.

"Well, there are some downsides to it, but I can explain them later." Shawn paused. _'I hope they were telling the truth.'_

Rookie obeyed Shawn's silent order. He rushed forward and plowed through Enishi, bringing Masurao to within a breath of defeat. "I activate Michizure, since my monster was destroyed, I can destroy your puppy!" Kiba shattered, leaving Shawn's ninja exposed.

**Masurao: 100**

'_He could have a trap, but I can't be too cautious. Rookie's drawback kicks in next turn and I'll lose anyway.' _Shawn took a deep breath. "Finish him off," he commanded.

"I activate my face down trap card, Reduction Barrier! This cuts the damage I receive to Ten Percent!"

**Masurao: 59**

'_I can either finish him or Hikaru off. But, he's almost done for and Hikaru's still got a few tricks up her sleeve.' _"Attack Hikaru," he ordered.

"Want to see my own ninja?' She asked. She played a monster card. "When I'm attacked I can Special Summon Kurinin from my hand! He'll negate the attack and destroy the offending monster." (300/200) The ninja Kuriboh appeared and blocked Rookie's fist with a kunai. He slipped behind the man of a thousand destinies and stabbed him in the back.

'_The Rookie of a Thousand destinies was shanked by a fur ball,' _noted Masurao.

'_At least this means I can survive the next round,' _thought a relieved Shawn.

'_Kurinin summons himself in attack mode,' _Hikaru thought with a grimace, _'So while he does destroy a monster, he can just as easily become an attack target!'_

"My move," cried Masurao as he drew a card. _'59 Life Points left. I have to be careful or else I'm toast.' _He looked at the numerous trap cards in his hand. "I set three cards face down and summon Hand of the Six Samurai!" (1600/1000) "Next I'll attack Kurinin!"

The agile warrior sunk her blade into the ninja's flesh.

Hikaru winced in mental distress as pixels flew past her.

Her Life Points fell toward 0. "I activate the Trap Card, Maho Shojo Last Gift. By removing from play a Maho Shojo in my grave, I can raise my Life Points by her attack. I pick Éclair. I know she stands out since she isn't Japanese, but she really is quite useful. She's the Level 5 Spellcaster I used for Maho no Go!"

**Hikaru: 1800**

"Sorry guys, but I won't lose so anticlimactically," she said as she drew a sixth card for her hand. "Ore no Turn!" She examined the six cards in her hand. "Now it's time to end this. I activate the Spell Card Maho Henshin- Crystal Crisis. I can remove from play any number of Spell Cards in my graveyard and Special Summon from my deck a Maho Shojo of the same level. I only need to get rid of two," she explained. She grabbed Dimension Magic and Pot of Greed. "And I Special Summon Maho Shojo- Elm." (400/400) This card looked like she was still in elementary school. She had short red hair and a big smile. "While she's on the field I can release her to Special Summon a Maho Shojo from my hand and boost that card's attack by 400 until the turn ends, so I bring out Keiko!" (1500/1100) "When she's special summoned I can destroy one monster on the field, so I get rid of Taijutsu!" She watched Shawn's army shrink to one. "Next I can perform a normal summon Minako!" (1800/1500) "When she's normal summoned I can Special Summon a removed from play Maho Shojo, so I bring back Éclair!" (2400/100) "Go, Éclair, attack Naginatajutsu!" A stream of electricity fired at the ninja, zapping him to bits.

**Shawn: 100**

"Éclair's effect kicks in when she destroys a monster. You take 300 damage per my removed from play spell cards. Next, I'll follow up with a direct attack! Go, Minako, end this!"

Masurao reflected on the situation for mere moments. _'My chances of beating Shawn are greater than my chances of beating her.' _He held out a hand. "Trap card activate, Magic Cylinder! This card negates your attack and deals you damage equal to your monster's own strength!"

The magical cylinder's appeared and reflected Hikaru's own attack. She braced herself for the stream of magical energy as it reduced her Life Points to 0.

**Hikaru: 0**

"My move," Shawn cried out immediately. Sorry to do this right after you saved me, Masurao, but I have a wish to make. I activate the Spell Card Neo-Ninja Infiltration. I just have to remove from play a Neo-Ninja from my graveyard then I can call out the name of one monster, and if it's in your deck, I can special Summon it to my field for this turn. I'm calling out Six Samurai- Zanji!" (1800/1300)

Masurao watched as another copy of his warrior appeared on Shawn's field. _'That's okay, just attack and I can activate my trap card. You'll lose the duel and I'll get a chance to duel Haseo.'_

"Next I normal Summon Neo-Ninja of Hensojutsu!" (0/0) A man appeared, wearing a mysterious black cloak. "I can remove from play any card in my hand, deck, or graveyard, and until the end of this turn, he'll gain that monsters attack, defense, and effect until the turn ends. So I choose Kiba, Dog of Undying loyalty!"

"But that means!"

"Zanji is now immune to Trap Cards! Go, attack his Hand of the Six Samurai!" It was almost a little sad to see two comrades attacking each other. Knowing that Zanji had no choice in the matter, Hand of the Six Samurai accepted defeat. The blade cut through her neck, knocking her severed head toward Masurao.

**Masurao: 0**

**To Be Continued**

Naota tried not to cry. "Apparently I'm not even an entertaining enough main character to make it into this movie for more than a cameo."

"Don't worry Naota, you'll get to have a lot more time in the spot light once you permanently upgrade to your next deck." Hikaru reminded him.

"Yeah but that's only because I,"

"Spoilers, Naota. Yeah I know that sucks, but we can't spoil anything." Hikaru sighed. She glanced over at Ross. He was still rolling on the ground in pain, holding his groin like he was afraid something was about to fall off.

Over on the other table, Fai let out a sigh. "You should have seen the original script we had for the next two duels. They were too hard to film so we cut them out and changed them to normal duels."

"What were they originally like?" Syaoran inquired.

"Fighting and dueling at the same time. Kurowanwan would attack Kafei; Kafei would retreat and send a monster to distract Kuropi while he went in for the kill, stuff like that."

"Sounds interesting," Sakura admitted. "Think we'll get to do stuff like that in the crossover?"

"Who knows?" Kurogane admitted. "I hope we get to do anything better than this. Kira was really getting lazy at this point."

"Mokona wants pie!"

"Gah, this is the part where as I was writing, my internet and cable went out for no reason," I whined. "I was worried I wouldn't be able to finish in time! Oh well at least it's working now."

**Part I Lost Track and don't Really Care Anymore  
**

A blonde mage in a pink kimono happily whistled as he dodged Asheiko's thrown knives. Thump, thump, thump! They dug into the oak trees behind Fai. "Look,we're not getting anywhere, we've been at it for a while. Why don't we settle this with a duel?"

"Fine," Asheiko agreed, activating her Duel Disk.

Kurogane and Kafei found themselves in a similar situation. Kafei charged up the oak tree to meet the warrior in a branch. His own blade flew fast, only to scrape against Kurogane's. it let out a wail of pain as the older male's superior weapon chipped away at its side. "This is ridiculous. Why are you trying to stop us? Do you want this world to vanish."

"We just want to find a way to bring peace without hurting others," Kurogane explained. He kneed Kafei in the side and launched the boy into the air. The male twin crashed into the ground.

"You're going to destroy our world."

"Shut up and duel." Kurogane instructed."Fai will go first, then you, then me, then Asheiko."

Fai smiled. "I activate two Good Fortune-Miracle Stone so now my Fortune Telling Witches gain 2000 attack for each of them on the field. I summon Sui (0/0) and I activate Card Destruction, sending all our cards to the graveyard."

Kafei and Asheiko looked down as they slid their cards away. At that moment, Kurogane pounded them both on the head, knocking them unbconscious.

"Awww, I really wanted to have a tag duel with you, Kurochani." Fai complained.

"We don't have enough time, the ritual could be almostover by now."

Back in the castle, the three duelists turned their eyes toward the throne. Dark energy was gathering there, forming the shape of a king. He had short black hair and a thick beard. he wore royal robes with a cape trailing behind him. "At last, I am free," he said with a smile. "Now, I shall set things right." He turned to the three duelists before him. "But first, I shall grant the wish of the one who freed me. You, young man," he pointed at Shawn, what is your wish!"

"Yay for well timed entrances," Fai cheered as he and Kurogane burst through the door. Having the superior speed, Kurogane had determined that giving Fai a piggy back ride was the best way to get them both there as quickly as possible. He set the mage down and pointed his sword at the king. "Don't listen to him," he warned Shawn. "Sure he'll grant your wish, but he'll take more than what it cost to grant it. You'll only end up suffering in the end."

"Foolish mortals, you know what my goal is," the king roared. "Long ago, this world was abandoned by all others. It slowly began to fade away. That is why I will draw energy from all the other worlds and restore this land to its former glory. I'll bring back the fallen. We shal live tgether happily every after," he said half jokingly.

"But what about everyone else?" Fai asked. "All those who live in other worlds. What will you do about their suffering as their worlds fade away?"

"Who cares about those fools. All that matters is that we do what we can to save ourselves."

"What the Hell is going on here?" Hikaru demanded.

Fai smiled. "This king wants to steal the energy from all the other worlds in existence to save this world from destruction. I'm afraid that we need to stop him."

Kurogane charged forward, but the king merely grabbed him by the wrist and tossed him into the wall. "Fools, i am invincible, I can not be destroyed."

"Oh yeah!" Hikaru challenged. "Shawn, think quick, if this is a ritual and he needs to,"

"Yeah, yeah, simple solutions. I wish you would vanish," he told the king.

"You really think I'd grant such a foolish wish?" The king laughed. He charged forward and kneed Shawn in the gut, bringing the boy to his knees. "Sorry, but I am not that stupid."

Masurao growled. "I summon Zanji," he called out. (1800/1300) "I'll set two cards and end my turn."

"A duel huh?" The king smiled. A Duel Disk appeared on his arm. "I activate Future Fusion and send twelve dragons from my deck to the grave to prepare a summon in the future. Next I activate Destiny Rush, speeding us along by three turns. Come on out, Twelve God Dragon!" (5000/5000) A dragon appeared, sporting twelve heads made up of various materials. "Attack, Eternal Flare!"

"I activate Magic Cylinder!"Masurao challenged.

"When Twelve God Dragon is targeted by a trap cardI can remove a Light Dragon in my grave to negate that card!" TGD's breath of pure fire roasted the helpless samurai.

**Masurao: 0**

**_"_**I activate the trap card, Escalation to Obliteration!" Masurao cired. "Whoever goes next skips their draw phase but they can summon two monsters in one turn."

"I'll go," Fai said as he stood up. "I'll summon Good Fortune Witches Sui and Hikari (0/0) And I activate my Fortune Stone. Then I'll use Advanced Fortune Loan to Special Summon Fu from myhand." (0/0) All three rose to 3000 attack points.

"My move," cried the king. "I'll simply destroy Fu."

**Fai:2000**

"When my carddestroys a monster I can remove a Fire Dragon from play to deal you 1000 points of damage."

A second flame blasted away at Fai.

**Fai: 1000**

"I equip Hikari with Opti Camoflauge Armor to let her attack directly," Fai explained after drawing his card. His fairy struck the king directly, taking away a chunk of his Life Points.

**King 2000**

"And destroy him again," the King watched his dragon obliterate the last of Fai's Life Points.

**Fai:0**

When I inflict battle damage with my monster I can remove from play a Wind Dragon in my graveyard to draw a card." He said with a smile. His hand size increased by one. "Did I mention, if I remove twelve dragons with my monster's efect, I win this little game of ours."

Kurogane stepped forward.

"I set two cards and end my turn," said the king. And Kurogane drew.

"I activate Tribute to the Doomed to discard one card and destroy your dragon."

"Sorry, but by removing a Dark Dragon from play I can negate that effect," the King explained.

Kurogane just smiled. "I activate Premature Burial to bring back Maha Vailo!" (1550/1400) "My card gets 500 extra attack points for every equip cardon her. And I equip her with two Dragonslayers! Each gives my monster 1400 attack when fighting a dragon. Go, Ryuslayer slash." Maha Vailo's attack rose to 5850, just enough to kill the Twelve God Dragon."

**King 1150**

"By removing an Earth Dragon it can be saved from any form of destruction," the king explained. he drew a card. "Next i removea Water Dragon to return one monster on the field to its owner's hand. So goodbye, Maha Vailo." The King smiled. "I've removed from play a Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, and Dark Dragon. Now, once per turn, i can remove from play any two Dragons to raise my TGD's attack by 5000 until the turn ends!"

Kurogane stood bravely as his monster's attack rose to 10000. "Kill Kurogane!" A bath of flames drowned out Kurogane's image.

**Kurogane: 0**

Shawn shook a little as he rose to the challenge. "Heh, Hikaru, I'll do my best, but at this rate, he'll win in two turns. So I'm sorry if we lose."

Hikaru growled. "This isn't even right. We don't even know what's going on! Why can't we even take five minutes to talk about what's going on!"

Fai smiled. "Sorry, Hikaru-chan. I know you just got here, but the events unfolding now are the result of eons of waiting. You came to the movie just as it reached it's climax. Sometimes, that's what life is." *****

Shawn examined the two face down cards. "I activate Heavy Storm!"

"I activate my two face down traps, Judgment of the Dragon Gods when you try to destroy a spell or trap I control, I can choose a dragon I control and raise its attack by 700 as long as my trap remainds in the graveyard!"

**Twelve God Dragon 6400**

_'Dammit, I just made it worse,' _Shawn moaned. "What should I do?" He looked at his hand. "Too bad I can't summon you," He commented as he eyed his Divine Spirit. "Ahh I don't even have enough monsters to make good use of your effect." He smiled. I set three cardsface down and end my turn."

"Is that all?" The King laughed. "I remove from play two Dragons in my graveyard to boost my monster's attack to 11400. Direct Attack. God Slaughter!" Beams of light and darkness fell from the sky, engulfing Shawn as his Life Points dropped to 0.

"I activate the trap cards Playing Ninja, Ninja's Grand Scheme, and Ninja's Shadow Trick. Since this is a team duel I can use it on my partner Hikaru. Playing Ninja makes any monster she summon count as a Neo-Ninja until turn's end. Ninja's Grand Scheme makes it so that any Neo-Ninja that attacks next turn gains half the attack of the monster it battles, sort of like Metalmorph."

"How convenient for you that you just so happen to have a bunch of cards you can activate now to take advantage of during the next turn," the King noted.

Shawn smiled. "Being a ninja means you always have to think ahead. Finally, Ninja's Shadow Trick actually has a purpose for this turn, when I'm attacked directly, I can remove from play one Neo-Ninja in my hand. Until my next end phase, all Neo-Ninja cards will gain attack equal to half that monster's. So I pick Taijutsu!"

Hikaru quickly tore her six cards from her deck. "Thanks Shawn, I won't let you down." Hikaru grinned. "All it takes is this card! I summon Maho Shojo- Ayame!" (1200/1000) "Thanks to Shawn she gets 1000 extra points." (2200)

"That still isn't enough to beat me!"

"Think that's it?" Laughed Hikaru. "When she attacks, she'll gain 3200 points, bringing her up to 5400. Your monster has 6400 points. That isn't too much of a diffirence you know. So I'll attack!"

Ayame let loose a bright white light that fought back a stream of flames.

"Everyone, thanks for your help," she said with a smile. "I activate Ayame's effect. Once, while she's battling a monster, I can remove from play two spells from my hand to double her attack during the damage step. This brings her up to 10800 attack points!" Ayame's magic broke throughg Twelve God Dragon's flames, bursting the creature into pixels.

"No, this can't be," the King whoned. "Just when I thought I could come back to," he began to fade away.

"That was certainly odd."

.

"So, are you guys sure you can manage to find a way to save your own world?" Shawn asked.

"Don't worry about us, you should hurry up and get back home before your friends start to miss you."

"Why do we have to forget everything? That seems like such a cop out," Hikaru moaned.

"Quit complaining. Hurry up before the portal closes," Kurogane warned.

"It was fun meeting you all," Masurao said politely.

**The End**

***Hah! A Moral!**

"That sucked," Nayuta admitted.

"This is why you should always take your time and never rush," Hikaru sighed.

"This party was a wastem" Naots cried.

"Was it?" I asked. "I hope not. If it the movie wasn't good enough, Yuko might not accept it as payment for my wish."

"What wish?" Nayutaasked.

"To reunite friends who have been far too long. Even if that reunion can't last long." Said a voice from behind me.

I stepped to the side, revealing a silver haired boy dressed all in black.

Naota tried to hold back the tears of joy. "Yuu," he whispered.


	36. Whirlpool

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or Kingdom Hearts or Code Geass or Pokémon or Card Captor Sakura.**

**Author's Notes: I Love naming OCs after characters from other games and shows.**

**Hmmm I hope I didn't accidentally make Kai too much like an assholish version of Strafe**

**Anyway sorry this chapter is so short**

. . .

Kai looked at himself in the mirror. Brown bangs covered his left eye while safely revealing his right eye, a mysterious orb with a dark blood red iris. His otherwise standard Obelisk Blue Uniform sported a golden line leading from his left sleeve to just above his elbow. "He's late," Kai whispered to his reflection. "Where are you, Sousuke?" He looked around his room, almost as if waiting for someone to answer. All he saw were the normal contents of his room, a king sized bed with blue sheets, a closet full of clothes he rarely got to wear, and a bookshelf full of thick novels written in multiple languages, like English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and even German.

He let out a sigh of defeat and turned back to the mirror. "I know you're here, Ienzo."

A young male appeared behind Kai. He wore a black T-Shirt with a picture on it. The pictured displayed C.C. and Pikachu in Organization XIII outfits, each wielding a Keyblade. His light-blue feathered hair bounced as he stepped forward. "Heh, you're getting good at sensing my presence."

"You're not as good at these illusions as you think you are, Ienzo. Or could it be that you're attention is diverted? Perhaps with those friends you've trapped in your illusion?"

"Indeed you are perceptive," Ienzo said calmly. "We've drawn in Hikaru and Morganna, and we almost got Naota and Nayuta but they escaped. We intend to capture them along with Emi, Isamu, and Haley."

"What about Ryou?" Kai questioned.

"Have you not noticed? He's breaking. Morganna seems to have done much of your work for you. It's quite funny really. She's after Skeith as well. Take advantage of her work and then claim Skeith as the Organization's." Ienzo wrapped his arms around Kai's waist in a teasing manner. "If all goes well we servants will take care of the heroes," Ienzo wrapped some of Kai's hair around his finger and began to twirl it, "But in case we fail, concentrate your efforts on Naota. Ender says that that boy is ready to break. Crush him and he's yours, Kai."

Ienzo released the Obelisk Blue student. "Toodles, my dear Kai," he said as he vanished.

Kai laughed. "Ienzo you sure are a weird one. If the Servants weren't our only connection with the Octogram, I'd probably sue you for sexual harassment." Ignoring the countless thoughts swimming in his head, Kai turned to one of the books on his shelf and began to read from it. It was written in Japanese.

_They will call themselves the Servants. They shall play a game with the worlds and they shall mark the beginning of a test for humanity. If humanity passes, then we shall continue to live and thrive just as before. If we fail, then our world shall turn to the shadows._

The book was titled The Thousand Prophecies of Daidouji Tomoyo.

"Her prophecy dictates that a test will begin soon," Kai slammed the book shut and blew some dust off the cover. "I wonder what kind of test it will be." He smiled as he opened the door. "Hello, Sousuke."

"How'd you know I was here?" Asked the stunned duelist.

"I could hear your footsteps. Oh I se your friend came with you. Hello Fumiko, it's a pleasure to see you."

"Pardon the intrusion, but I couldn't resist the chance to watch you duel. I hear you've got a lot of talent," Fumiko flirted with a smile.

"Fumiko, we're here so I can duel him not so you can ask him on a date," Sousuke complained.

Kai only smiled. "Why, thank you for such a lovely compliment." Inside his head, the words came out a bit differently. _'I don't care at all about you two. I just needed the chance to test my modified deck. _She_ sent me some new cards and I'm desperate to see how they work.'_

"So, how are you doing?" Sousuke asked. "I haven't heard much about the Organization's higher members. Just that you guys apparently can't duel without causing too much damage to a person's psyche."

"Yes," Kai admitted. "That is true. That's why I wanted to practice with you first. Don't get me wrong. You aren't some guinea pig. The worst that could happen is that you get knocked out for an hour or two." Kai pulled a small black tome off the shelf and opened it up to reveal its hollow interior. Resting within the book was a small notebook. Kai opened it up. "You see, though we have over half the school brainwashed, it's like having a bunch of useless crap. It might seem like we're doing well, but few of our members will actually help break the seal on Skeith. It's like having 20 cards in your hands but nothing good enough to win. You seem to be in a good position, but you really can't gain much of a benefit with what you have. The ones who need to be broken, well, they seem to be doing to well for the weaker agents to handle. So now, we higher ups are intervening, but we don't need a mess on our hands. If we go after a potential victim and put them in a coma, we can't use them to free Skeith."

Sousuke smiled. "I see, sounds like things are about to speed to a conclusion. If you and the other top members of the group are making your moves."

"Yes, Hazel, Manchester, Aiko, and I will be doing our best to release Skeith of the Octogram." In his head, he added, _'Because you guys seem to be messing around far too much.' _He activated his Duel Disk and offered a friendly smile." But enough chatter, I believe you came for a duel."

Both players drew five cards. "I'll make the first move," Kai said as he added a sixth to his hand. "I'll set one card and end my turn."

Sousuke looked at his options. _'I can summon a few really powerful monsters right now, but he could have something like Mirror Force or Magic Cylinder waiting to spring on me. Damn, he's wide open but he's got me backed into a corner. Anyone else and I'd just attack, but he's one of the best. No wonder these guys are so good.' _

Kai kept up his piercing glare, daring Sousuke to attack.

"I summon Gemini Elf in attack Mode." (1900/900) Sousuke watched proudly as his twin elves appeared on the field. _'Just one attack and I can cut his Life Points down to nearly half.'_

"You know, I understand that since Special Summoning is the Meta, many people don't care about this card anymore, but sometimes you can really half a lot of fun with the classics," Kai bantered away as he swung his arm out to activate his face down trap. "Trap Hole will destroy your monster now."

The blonde elf ran forward. Her fist began to glow a bright purple. She swung hard at Kai's unguarded abdomen, only to find herself falling as the ground collapsed beneath her. Seeing her sister vanish, the other elf rushed forward, only to vanish into another well-placed pitfall.

"I set two cards and end my turn," announced Sousuke. He hoped that his two face down cards would be enough to protect him, but knew that a Giant Trunade or Heavy Storm would be enough to render them both useless. _'I have Mirror Force and Magic Cylinder, in case he destroys one. Hmm maybe I should have only played one and kept the other as back up in my hand in case he has a mass Spell or Trap Destruction card in his hand. Dammit, I should have been paying more attention during tactic classes.'_

"Oh, two face down cards. I shall have to be careful as I proceed. I wouldn't ant to get hurt,' Kai said with a smile. _'As if you could touch me.' _He selected his card with much thoughtful consideration. "I'll summon Serpent Eel in attack mode. (700/500) I'll attack you directly!"

A silver eel swam towards Sousuke and rammed into his side, sending jolts of electricity coursing through his body.

**Sousuke: 3300**

"Since my monster successfully attack directly its effect will kick in. First, you draw two cards then discard any one card from your hand. Afterwards, you return one card in your hand to the bottom of the deck."

"Interesting effect. I end up with the same number of cards, but my hand could change completely. Still, it's a risky move for you. I can get rid of unwanted cards in my hand while I search for something better." Sousuke drew two cards and slipped one away with ease. He carefully considered a few calculations and selected the one that he would be most comfortable returning to his deck.

"I'll set three cards face down and end my turn, Kai explained.

Sousuke smiled as he drew another card. "Thanks for helping me to bring out my most powerful monster. By removing a Normal Spellcaster from my grave, I can Special Summon Neon Magician Alcatraz from my hand." (3800/ 1800) "The turn he's summoned his stats will be double that of the monster used to summon him." The magician had a charming smile and flowing green hair. His robes were of a fluorescent orange color. It was almost painful to look at him. "When the turn ends his stats will be cut down to the original attack and defense of my elf." Sousuke grabbed another card and prepared to play it. _'Wait, his trap could leave me defenseless. I might want to think of saving this summon for later. No, I could win this right now, it's worth the risk. I can at least be sure of that. Besides, I'll still have two face downs that he'd need to clear first.' _He slapped it down on his disk. "I summon a second Mystical Elf in attack mode!" (1900/900) Two more elves appeared, looking much like the first two. "Go, my Neon Magician, Neon Magic Attack!" Flashy lights erupted from his outstretched wand as the magician guided an attack toward the fish.

Water flooded the field as Kai sprung his trap. "Abyssal Whirlpool," he announced. A small whirlpool sucked up the contents of the Neon Magic Attack. "This Continuous Trap Card forbids you from attacking any Water monster unless you discard a card first."

Sousuke thought it over and discarded his leftmost card.

"Now I activate Magical Thorn! You take 500 damage whenever you discard a card!"

The magical colors of Alcatraz's attack burst forth from the whirlpool and slaughtered Kai's eel.

**Kai: 900**

**Sousuke: 2800**

"Now my Eel's other effect comes into play. When he's destroyed in battle, I can discard a card to Special Summon another one from my deck." Kai slipped one card into the graveyard and watched a new eel take the old one's place. "So, will you continue the attack?"

Sousuke nodded as he discarded his last card. The blonde elf jumped over the whirlpool and punched through the eel. Kai simply discarded another card to bring the third Eel to the field. (700/500)

**Sousuke: 2300**

"I end my turn." Kosuke announced.

"Good, now Abyssal Whirlpool will let you draw a new card for each you discarded. But first I activate Greed, so you take 500 damage during the end phase for each card you drew outside of the draw phase."

Sousuke reluctantly drew two new cards.

**Sousuke: 1300**

"You're down to 900 Life Points, have no cards in your hand, and drawing extra cards will only result in your defeat." Sousuke pointed out.

"Perhaps. But perhaps I've already gotten what I needed to win." Kai said as he drew his next card. "I need only activate this spell I now hold in my hand."

'_Damn his improbably good luck,' _Sousuke mentally cursed.

"I activate the Spell Card Vicious Current. By reducing the attack of one Level 3 or Lower Fish or Sea Serpent monster by 500 points, I am able to have it attack directly. In addition, you can not activate a Trap in respond\se to its effect. So, my Eel, Electric Tango!" (200/500)

The eel shot forth and zapped Sousuke.

**Sousuke: 1100**

"Now draw two cards and discard one," Kai instructed. Sousuke obeyed. (**LP: 600) **"Return one to your deck," Kai said with a smile. Sousuke willingly followed the orders. A pathetic look attached itself to his face. He knew defeat was coming. "And I end my turn."

Greed took effect.

**Sousuke: 0**

"This duel was over for quite sometime you know. Even if I hadn't drawn that card, most of the other cards in my deck would have still lead to your defeat." Kai explained. "I don't mean to brag or boast, but I can tell from that look on your face that you think this is all luck." Kai flipped the next card of his deck. "Slip Serpent. It's a Level 5 so I would only need to get rid of my other Eel to bring him out. When he's attacked, you'd have to discard your entire hand and draw five new cards, so that still would have ended badly for you. What's more is that on the turn he's destroyed I can reduce any damage I'd take to 0 by removing him from play."

Sousuke smiled. "Wow, that sounds like a nasty card. I'd hate to be the one who faces that thing."

"Yes, luckily for you, I don't intend to duel you ever again. No offense, while our meeting was fun, I just want to get this all over with as soon as possible. Once we all free Skeith, I'm giving up Duel Monsters."


	37. OmakeSpecial:Hollow Light Phantasmagoria

**Disclaimer:I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX or Lira Game or Death Note or Boogiepop or .hack or Nightmare Before Christmas or Haruhi Suzumiya or Naruto or Code Geass or Disgaea or Pokémon or Bleach or Yahoo Questions**

**Kira's Note: For those of you wondering, Ryan and Lyra are from other Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics on my profile. It's crossover time.**

**Yuu: Cool, we get to introduce the chapter together, Naota.**

**Naota: Yeah, apparently we get to spend time with each other outside of canon. That's really nice but, another special so soon? Is that really a good idea?**

**Yuu: It's Halloween, eat some candy and have some fun.**

**Kira: I wonder, do they even celebrate Halloween in Japan.**

**Hikaru: The existence of the Hamtaro Halloween Special seems to suggest so.**

**Kira: I wish I could have watched it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro.**

**Kira: Anyway, lol, apparently Nayuta, the artist I named my character after, also used to go by the name Hazuki. Just a coincidence….a really big one though. Hmmmm I think I'm going to change Nayuta's costume, the old one just doesn't work out in this situation.**

. . .

**Halloween Special**

**That Fateful Night Ages Ago**

The music of Hazuki/Zer0 played loudly in the young child's room.

_You can call me mental if you want_

_But I know what I like_

_Sweet slash, delicious yaoi, and shounen-ai_

_It's my fantasy delight_

Yuu danced along to the music, not caring that his cousin was giving him a strange look. "What's yaoi?" The older teen asked. He knew the answer but felt like messing with his cousin's head. He leaned in for an answer.

"Trust me, Ryan, you don't want to know." Yuu replied. His eleven-year-old smile made Ryan grin. "It's really popular here in Japan. Not sure about America though."

"Speaking of popular, why is the song in English? I thought she was a Japanese singer." The twelve-year-old questioned.

"Hazuki is bi…bi…." He searched for the word he was looking for. "That thing like us where we can speak two languages."

"Bilingual," Ryan suggested, trying desperately to contain his smile. "Well, her accent kind of sucks. Then again, my Japanese is kind of crappy as well." He switched from English to Japanese. "Well, since your friends don't speak English, I better start practicing."

"Don't worry, I can translate. They're really excited to meet you. Hikaru says she wants to go to America when she's older. She wants to know what it's like."

"Well, I'm looking forward to meeting them too. And your brother, I haven't seen him all week, where is he?"

"Well, he hasn't visited much ever since he moved out. It's kind of sad. I miss him," Yuu sat down on his bed and hugged a pillow. "I know where he lives though; we can visit him if you want."

"Oh cool, how about tomorrow?" Ryan suggested. "Or will you be tired from all the trick or treating?"

"Nope, trick or treating never wears me out. But speaking of trick or treating, who are you supposed to be?" Yuu examined his cousin. Ryan wore a blonde wig and simple clothes, a nice blue shirt and jeans.

"Shinichi Akiyama from The Liar Game," Ryan answered. "I suppose it can be hard to tell since he keeps changing his outfit and the manga keeps changing his hair color. He's blonde one page and has red hair the next. It was either going to be him or Light Yagami from Death Note."

"Oh, okay, sounds cool," Yuu admitted. "I'm still not sure what I want to dress as. I bought like, three different outfits because I couldn't choose," Yuu admitted with a sheepish grin. "I suppose I could just let chance decide." Before he could elaborate further, the doorbell rang. "That's probably them," he squealed excitedly. He sprinted out the door and down the stairs.

"Wait, up," Ryan called after him.

Yuu's mother was already at the door, opening it for Naota and Hikaru. "Hello you two, it's nice to see you. Where are your costumes, not dressing up?"  
Naota frowned. "I lost a bet with Yuu, so he gets to puck my costume for me," he admitted.

"My costume's in the bag," Hikaru signaled to her large purple tote bag. "I didn't want my mom to see it though. She said it's kind of…inappropriate for a girl my age. She thinks I returned it to the store and bought something else."

"Oh I see," Yuu's mom said with a chuckle. "Well, don't worry, I won't say anything."

The two were about to head upstairs to Yuu's room when the young boy suddenly appeared and hugged Naota tightly. "Where have you guys been?" He asked. "I haven't seen you all week."

"My family has been busy," Naota explained. "My uncle was in a car accident last week so we've been going to visit him at the hospital a lot. He's fine though, so that's good. The doctor's say he'll be fine soon."

"As for me," the girl said, "My family has been busy Christmas shopping. I know it's a little early, but after last year, mom said she's not waiting until the last minute again."

"Oh okay, well, I'm glad you're here now. Let's go to my room. I can't wait to show you guys the outfit, I got for Naota."

Naota followed excitedly only to shudder once he saw the costume his friend had picked. Ryan could hardly contain the laughter. _'Wow, he's got a funny sense of humor.'_

"No," he pleaded.

"You lost the bet, you have to wear it." Yuu explained.

"B-but, please Yuu? Can't I wear something else?" He begged. "I don't want to dress like a French Maid," Naota whined.

"Okay, fine, we'll get you something else," Yuu sighed in defeat. "Too bad, you'd probably look really cute in that," he teased. Naota could only blush in response. "So I guess this was a waste," he said as he tossed it onto his bed. His pillows jiggled a little from the impact.

"Actually," Hikaru began. "Could I use that, I think it would go well with my own costume," she said.

"Of course. I wouldn't want this to go to waste."  
"Okay, turn around you guys," Hikaru said as she began taking her shirt off. She peeled it off slowly, revealing her thin, flat body and a temporary tattoo of a red rose on her hip.

Naota quickly spun around but wasted no time, voicing his complaint. "Hikaru, shouldn't you be changing in the bathroom?"

"Nah, I trust you and Yuu not to peek, and if Ryan tries I can always kick him in the nuts as revenge." She hid her smile well.

Ryan shuddered at the thought.

"Okay, I'm done," she told them. "Turn around now."

The boys turned back and found themselves staring at Hikaru in a French Maid uniform with cat ears and a cat tail. "What do you think?"

"You look cute," Yuu complimented her. "I wish I had something that cute to wear. Maybe next year I'll go as the French Maid." He ran to the closet. "Okay, guys, help me decide."

He pulled out two costumes. One was of Jack Skellington from the Nightmare Before Christmas; it was a really well made costume. It looked expensive. The second costume was a Black and White outfit. It consisted of black tunic with white sleeves, white pants, and a white hat, along with a cape (Black in the back and white in the front.)

"What is that?" Hikaru asked.

"It's a Pied Piper costume," Naota exclaimed. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah, not the most colorful version I've ever seen, but I kind of like it, you can wear it if you want though. I mostly got this for you as back up in case you didn't want to go with the French Maid costume," he explained.

"Thanks so much Yuu," Naota squealed, throwing his arms around his friend.

Yuu grabbed the third costume.

"Oh yeah, you should definitely wear that," Hikaru told him.

"Okay, Naota, let's go get changed," Yuu commanded. He grabbed his friend by the wrist and led the older boy toward the bathroom.

Hikaru turned to Ryan. "500 Yen says Yaoi stuff is going to happen," she joked.

"No way I'm taking a bet I know I'll lose," Ryan agreed. "So, you don't at all think you're costume is inappropriate at all for a girl your age?"

Hikaru thought it over for a brief moment before answering, "That's why it's so fun."

"We're back," Yuu called out as he stepped into the room. Everyone's eyes turned to his costume. He wore a wig that looked like Lelouch Lamperouge's hair and a Geass contact lens in one of his eyes. A black cloak with red clouds had replaced Lelouch's normal clothes. "What can I say? I love crossover costumes."

"So, what do you say we get going?" Ryan suggested. "The Phantasmagoria of Hollow Lights is going to start soon. We want to be there as soon as possible, right? Then once we're done, we can go and get all the candy we want."

"Yeah," the three friends agreed.

**. . .**

"So, first off is the Hedge Maze. Find your way through it and you'll find yourself at Japan's most famous Haunted House ever, Nocturne Raven's Mansion. Make it through that and you end up back in the maze," Ryan explained. "If you can make it all the way through to the end, you win a large bag of candy. If at any time anyone wants to drop out, all we have to do is push this button," he pointed to the silver necklace everyone had been provided with. A small button rested in the center. "They'll send someone to come get us."

"I hope this maze isn't too difficult," Hikaru said with worry.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be fine," Ryan told her. "It's the Haunted House we need to worry about. I hear it's pretty damn scary. Apparently only 12 Percent of the people who make it to the Haunted House can find there way through. Even then, most people are usually too tired to find the rest of there way through the maze. Overall, in the three years this place has been up, only about 0.002 Percent of the people who attempt the event ever make it through."

"It's just a haunted house," Yuu pointed out. "There's nothing that bad about it."

"You're forgetting Naota is with us," Hikaru reminded him. "Last year, we went to another house and he wet himself."

Naota hung his head in shame.

"Well, let's get started, we don't have much time to waste," Ryan changed the subject.

The two stepped into the maze. Hedges towered over them, stretching into the sky. "So which way do we go?" Ryan asked. A twig crunched as it snapped beneath his feet. "Left or right?"

Yuu tried looking down both directions. Numerous footprints had chosen to turn right while just as many had gone left. "I'm not really sure. I guess we should just puck one and see where it goes."

"Left," Hikaru commanded. She immediately walked away, waiting for the boys to follow.

"Any reason why?" Ryan asked.

"I can hear a duel," she said.

"Hah, I win," said a voice around the corner. It came from a young bow with a blue wig, red cape, no shirt, and red and white shorts. "Hahahahaha," he laughed in character.

"Oh my God, it's Laharl!" Yuu squealed. "Your costume is awesome."

"Thanks," said the boy. "Yours is too. Combining two costumes, I wish I had thought of something like that. Well, I'm only nine, so I have tons of Halloweens left to dress up while trick or treating," he said. "So, you guys lost too? I've been in here for an hour."

"So, you were just dueling someone?" Naota asked. "What kind of deck do you use?"

"A pretty fun one." The boy answered. "Wanna see?" He activated his Duel Disk.

"You're on," Naota mirrored the move.

**Duel One Here**

**Naota vs Laharl**

Both boys fanned out their five cards and grinned.

"I'm younger, I'll go first," said Laharl. He grabbed a sixth card. "I summon Servant of Yamimakai!" (1450/500) A small gremlin like creature appeared on the field, wielding a pitchfork. "I set two cards and end my turn." He watched as his two cards appeared in hologram form.

Naota drew and smiled. "I set one card in face down defense mode and set one more."

Laharl drew his next card. _'This guy is good. He must know about my Servant's effect. I suppose all I can do is attack. I should hold off on the summon in case he pulls out a trap.' _Laharl thrust his finger forward. "Go, Servant, attack his face down."

"Say hello to Giant Soldier of Stone and Cross Counter!" (1300/2000) The servant sent a wave of magic crashing into the colossal warrior, only to be crushed by his own attack as it rebounded.

"Cross Counter doubles the damage you take and destroys your monster!"

**Laharl: 2900**

"Ahahahaha," laughed Laharl. "I activate my facedown Dark Trap Blaster. When a Level 4 or lower Dark Monster is destroyed by a trap I can Special Summon him from the graveyard in attack mode. Next, I activate Yamimakai Crusher. This Continuous Trap will activate whenever a Yamimakai monster is Special Summoned. I can destroy one monster on the field with less attack then it. So say goodbye to your Giant Stone Soldier!"

Giant Soldier of Stone began to crumble to pieces, leaving Naota wide open. "Attack him directly, Yami no Refrain." His monster gathered some dark energy into his hand and shot it at Naota.

**Naota: 2250**

"I then summon Abyss Skele in defense mode." (0/1400) A small skeleton appeared on the field. It looked just like Skull servant only wearing a grim reaper like cloak. "Your move."

Naota drew his next card. He had five cards to work with, and they were just what he needed. "First I playa card face down, Next I summon Mystical Elf and activate Shield and Sword to switch monster's attacks and defenses. Now, go, Mystical Elf, destroy his Servant."

Mystical Elf's attack soared up to 2000. With a single wave of her hand, she sent the servant crashing to his grave.

**Laharl: 1400**

"Hahaha, when the servant is destroyed, the master comes out to play. I Special Summon the King of Yamimakai from my hand." (2000/1530.) The strange beast appeared on the field. Now, since your Elf has equal attack, I can't destroy her." Laharl watched his Abyss Skele crumble. "But I can turn the wrath of my trap card onto my own monster and activate his effect. When he's destroyed I can add a Dark Sing of the Abyss from my deck to my hand." Laharl grabbed the card he needed.

"I end my turn," Naota told him.

Laharl drew. "And your Elf's attack returns to normal. Leaving her wide open for slaughter. But that doesn't matter. I activate Polymerization fusing the King of Yamimakai with my Dark King of the Abyss. This forms my strongest monster, Overlord of Yamimakai!" The new creature looked like a larger form of the king, only now it wielded six axes in six arms. (3600/2000) "I know it seems like a waste, but I'll use my trap to destroy your Elf."

Naota watched his only monster crumble away. "Now I'll activate Yami, which, in addition to giving my Overlord 200 attack and defense, will activate his effect. Now can't be destroyed by spell or trap cards. Go, Yamimakai slaughter."

Hikaru winced in fear for her friend.

The Overlord rushed forward and swung all its axes at Naota. The boy simply activated his trap card. "I use Rainbow Life! I discard one card, and any damage I take becomes extra Life Points instead."

A rainbow glow covered the boy.

**Naota: 6350**

"Go Naota," Hikaru cheered.

"You can do it," said Yuu.

Ryan tried to smile. _'If this kid is who I think he is, then Naota doesn't stand a chance. I don't think even Yuu could beat him.'_

"Watashi no turn!" Naota drew. "Okay, I remove from play the Mystical Elfin my grave to Special Summon Holy Mystical Elf. (800/2000) She's immune to Spells and Traps and has a killer effect. While she's in attack mode, she negates all damage I take. And any battle damage I would receive becomes a health bonus to me instead. Next I set one card and end my turn."

Laharl drew. "I guess the best course of action would be to summon a monster, destroy your elf, and attack with my Overlord, but it seems I'm out of monsters. So I'll just attack your Elf with my Overlord."

"I activate Astral Barrier to make the attack a direct attack."

Overlord's axes flew toward Holy Mystical Elf, but they quickly swerved around her and headed toward Naota instead. His monster raised her hands in prayer, and a mysterious blue light engulfed him, warding off the axes as they boomeranged toward their owner. Overlord caught them and smiled.

Yuu smiled. _'Looks like Naota's got a pretty good handle on things.' _

"You'll need to destroy my trap before you can do anything to me."

Naota smiled as he drew. "Okay, here we go, Card of Sanctity. We both draw until we have six cards."

Ryan grimaced. _'No, you'll only be helping him get a hold of trap destruction cards.'_

"Listen up," Naota said as he presented two cards. "I'm setting my Magic Jammer and Judgment of Anubis. Go ahead and try to destroy my trap card now, you're in a tough spot."

'_That was amazing. Naota's usually not that big of a risk taker, but this move really paid off.'_

"Looks like you've got a good defense," Admitted Laharl. But there's a small little problem. You don't have the offense it takes to win. So we'll just be stuck in a stalemate if this keeps up. Now, while I am impressed by your combo, I have to end this all now. I activate Spiritualism on your Astral Barrier. It returns your trap to your hand and can't be chained by any other card. Next, I summon the monster card, Dark King of the Abyss. (1200/800)"

Yuu ran through it in his mind. _'Naota only needs to reset it on his turn.'_

Laharl smiled. "Of course, I can't have you using it again on your turn. So I activate Card Destruction, forcing us to throw out our ands for new ones." Both players ditched their cards in the graveyard and grabbed new ones. "Now I activate Giant Trunade to return those cards to your hand." Naota grimaced as he watched Laharl tear through his combo. "I'll activate Yami once more. And finally, I'll equip my Overlord with Megamorph, doubling his original attack."

**[Overlord of Yamimakai: 7400]**

"Go, King, attack his Holy Elf!" The monster surged forward in a burst of smoke. He sliced through the elf with his long nails, smiling as she let out a wail of pain.

**Naota: 6750**

"Overlord, end this."

Laharl watched his monster move forward. Rather then show merciless wrath, he flicked Naota on the forehead.

**Naota: 0**

**Duel End**

"That was fun," the blue wigged boy said. "Well, I'm off, I think I can find my way out of here. I'm just gonna go now. I've been stuck here long enough for my tastes."

"See 'ya," Naota responded with a wave.

**. . .**

In a dark room somewhere, two figures observed the Phantasmagoria Event. "Heh, they chose a word that sounded cool," complained Ienzo. "This has nothing to do with, heh, who cares. This still looks fun. So, Dr. D," he turned to his accomplice, "I have a suggestion. How about we haunt this haunted house," Ienzo laughed as black smoke wrapped around his body, transforming his outfit into a costume.

"Hmm, a nice costume, I like it," Dr. D stated as he observed his partner's costume. Ienzo had donned a black wig that looked like Ash Ketchum's hair. He wore a Bleach style Captain's Outfit. "Ash Ketchum as a Bleach Taichou. Interesting. It seems that you have a fondness for combining aspects of two series and creating something from it. This is a very popular phenomenon, isn't it?"

Ienzo nodded. "So, is there anything in particular you want to do while we're there?" Ienzo asked.

"Well," began the doctor, "Hazuki is attending the event dressed as herself. In various forms of fiction, whenever one person dresses as himself or herself, another person inevitably tells them their costume needs work. I would like to say this to Hazuki and observe her reaction."

"You're an odd person, but I like you. So, are you dressing up or will you just go in your normal outfit?"

Dr. D only offered a mischievous smile. "No costume. I figure my normal outfit qualifies as it is." Darkness gathered in his hand, taking the shape of a card.

. . .

Nayuta sighed as she turned back from the dead in. "I wish I really were Haruhi, then the maze would bend just for me," she said as she sank to her knees. "Haruhi, my legs are tired," she moaned. "I've been in here for what feels like an hour," she rubbed her soar legs and smoothed out some of the wrinkles in her Haruhi costume.

"Hey, you okay?" A kind voice asked. "Oh, looks like this is a dead end too," the boy said. He wore a grim reaper outfit that obscured his features completely.

"Yeah I'm fine, just letting my legs rest. This maze is really hard. It's practically evil. Living evil in the form of a hedge maze." Nayuta sighed as she continued rubbing her legs.

"I know what you mean. This is my second year here. Last year I gave up after four hours," the boy explained. "Anyway, my name is Haley, what's yours?"

"I'm Nayuta." She answered.

"That's a cute name. So, Nayuta, want to try to figure out this maze together? I think I've got it down, I've tried several different paths and I've got a fairly decent memory so I should be able to lead us somewhere."

"Sounds like a plan, I'm so lost it isn't funny anymore," she sighed. "I missed out on karaoke for this."

"You like karaoke?" Haley asked as the duo began walking.

"Yeah, I love to sing. I want to be a singer when I grow up."

"What are some of your favorite songs?" Haley asked.

"Well, I'm a total yaoi fangirl, and practically every yaoi fan is obligated to answer with Yaoi Craze by Hazuki/Zer0. Okay, not every, but it's pretty close at this point."

"God, I hate that song, no offense," Haley said. "I much prefer Yuri Flirt. It's definitely one of Hazuki's better songs."

"Hah, I should have known a boy would say that," Nayuta joked. "Even one with such a girly name," She took a deep breath and began whistling the guitar solo to the opening.

Haley's heart froze. _'This girl is good. She might even be better than Hazuki herself!'_

Nayuta began singing, "Yuri, yuri, yuri! Yuri no yume to ashita. Hormones are in motion and I've gotta," she held her last note, "roll." She began whistling again.

.

_Endlessly, descending chaos sparkle_

_Twisted emotions ensnarl_

_My heart goes doki, doki_

_Just what the hell is wrong with me_

_What is this feeling I'm feeling?_

_I feel my heart beating_

_._

_It's faster every time I see your face_

_._

_Could I really feel this way?_

_Swollen with a million words to say_

_Lost in a world of pure emotion_

_Caught in tides of confusion_

_Spinning around and around out of control_

_Tell me what I should know_

_._

_Hah, I guess it's time to face_

_The truth_

_._

_I am a girl in love with a girl_

_There's not much more to this story_

_I am a girl in love with a girl_

_I want to kiss your lips so badly_

_I am a girl in love with a girl_

_._

Someone else's voice joined in. "Come to tomorrow with me."

Nayuta looked up and smiled. "Oh my God, I love your costume." Standing before Nayuta was the perfect image of her idol.

'_Nice to know this can fool people.' _Hazuki thought. The sixteen–year-old was dressed in her most famous outfit. Her blonde hair rested in a short ponytail and she wore a sleeveless black dress with knee high pink and purple socks and matching arm warmers. "Hey, you guys have any idea where to go, we've been lost for an hour." She motioned to the girl at her side. She was dressed in a Pikachu costume.

"Hi, my name's Lyra," she said with a smile.

"Haley."

"Nayuta."

"And I'm Hazuki. No, really. It's pretty much half the reason I chose this outfit," the pop idol explained. "I know it's pretty silly, but I couldn't help myself."

"It's not silly at all," Nayuta countered. "It's awesomesauce unadulterated, concentrated awesomesauce."

"Hehe, thanks," Hazuki said as she rubbed her head. "Hey, we've been walking for a while. What do you say we stop for a duel?"

"Mind if we interrupt," two males said as the stepped in. Dr. D walked behind Ienzo. "Oh, a Pikachu," Ienzo laughed. "This must certainly be fate."

Dr. D examined Hazuki closely. "Your costume needs a lot of work," he told her. "No offense."

Hazuki sweat dropped. "Ehehehe, sorry."

"Take that back. Her costume is awesomesauce! Awesomesauce! Awesomesauce! AWESOMESAUCE!" Nayuta roared.

'_It seems that some people will go crazy over the smallest comments," Dr. D noted. 'It is just as the fiction suggests.'_

"So, as I recall, you guys were sating something about a duel? Mind if we watch?" Ienzo asked. "I'm trying to learn how to play and watching some people dueling would be a great learning experience for me."

Dr. D bowed politely. "I too am only learning to play the game. I have a deck, but I am not sure about the proper strategies involved in dueling."

"Of course you can watch," Hazuki smiled. "Dueling is meant to be fun. We're all meant to share that fun wherever we go. The only problem is, two-on-two, four way, one-on-one, triangle match?"

Haley shook his sad. "Sorry guys, I left my deck at home. "I'd love to duel you guys, but it seems that I won't get the chance."

"I left mine at home too," Lyra sighed." I guess it's just you two."

Hazuki activated her Duel Disk. Nayuta smiled as she did the same.

The both began to chant. "Let's duel to the limit, five cards in hand, put your faith in your deck, and take your stand!"

**Duel 2 Nayuta vs Hazuki**

Nayuta grinned as she drew her sixth card. "I'll begin this duel with a bang. I summon Gwen of the Autumn Leaves in defense mode." (1600/1400) A blonde haired warrior appeared in a swirl of colorful leaves. Her long red dress fell around her ankles. "When she's summoned I can discard my entire hand to inflict 300 points of damage per card."

**Hazuki: 2500**

Haley's costume hid the thoughtful look on his face. _'So this girl is a risk taker, huh.'_

"Interesting move sacrificing so many cards in order to get the lead. But a bit risky, wouldn't you say? You've lost your entire hand and placed yourself in a top decking situation. What happens if I destroy Gwen?"

"Then this duel steps one move closer to my victory," she explained.

"Confident, I see. Very well, I guess I'll take my turn, unless you have any cards that activate in the graveyard."

Hazuki drew her next card. "I summon Starride X (1700/1300) and her effect let's me Special Summon Starride Y from my hand." (1400/1200) Two young girls in their early teens appeared on the field. One had long blonde hair and wore a purple cloak decorated with white speckled. The other wore the same cloak but had short red hair. "I'll equip Starride Y to Starride X. Now X gains 400 attack and can inflict piercing damage. Next, I'll activate Frontline Base. Then I'll Special Summon a Level 4 or Lower Union Monster from my hand. So come on out, Starride Z. (1200/1000) This girl had green hair. "Now go, X, attack, Gwen. Meteor Sparkle!"

Crimson and pink lights fell from the sky, blowing Gwen to pieces.

**Nayuta: 3300**

Nayuta smiled. "So, you still attacked even after my warning. Since Autumn is over, I can Special Summon Winter from my graveyard. Come on out, Yui of the Winter Snows. All I have to do is remove Autumn from play.

" A black haired woman appeared. She wore a winter coat and carried a bow and arrow. (300/500) "Now that she's on the field, I can destroy one monster on the field. So say good-bye to your union monster!" Yu fired an arrow at Starride X, but Hazuki smiled.

"So you'll activate Y's effect, destroying her to save X. So then, I can equip Z to her. Now she gains 200 attack points and a new effect. I end my turn."

Nayuta drew, and Starride smiled as she sent a shot of light at Nayuta.

"Z makes it so that whenever X destroys a monster, it gets removed from play. Then during your standby phase, you take 300 damage per removed from play monster."

**Nayuta: 3000**

"Hah, that means nothing to me. I activate Lotus Refrain. I can select one Level 4 or lower monster on the field. Any battle damage I take from it will be cut in half and any monster that battles it will be destroyed. So I'm having Yui take on Starride!"

She shot an arrow that blasted away Starride X's companion, but a meteor sent a shockwave pulsing through the land that ended winter.

**Nayuta: 2200**

"Now even though Winter is removed from play by _your _effect, I am still allowed to Special Summon Avril of the Spring Breeze." (1700/1300) "When she's Special Summoned I can force you to draw up to three cards and I gain 500 Life Points for each, so draw three."

Hazuki smiled as her hand went up to five cards. She didn't even mind that Nayuta's Life Points were climbing.

**Nayuta: 3700**

"Now, Avril destroys your monster."

Avril's long black hair trailed behind her as she jumped into the air. Her black dress flapped around her ankles as she pulled out two guns to shoot Starride. Both monsters exploded and rained shards of glass on the field.

"Of course I am now allowed to call out Summer and attack you directly." (1900/1000) A black haired woman in a pink kimono appeared on the field, holding a simple wooden rod. "First off though, she let's me draw two cards when summoned. Hikaru of the Summer Sun attack her directly!"

**Hazuki: 600**

"Wow, you hit hard and fast. I never expected your deck to make such good use of an effect like Autumn's. So, are you going to play anything else?"

"I set my two cards and end my turn."

"Then I'll go." Hazuki said with a smile. "So, you've cycled through the year. If summer ends then the most you could do is go to Fall once more, unless your face downs let you do something about that. But for now, I'll use Heavy Storm to blow them away."

Nayuta braced herself against the storm.

"Now, since I have all three Starride's in the grave, and both Y and Z were at one point equipped to X, I can remove all three from my grave to Special Summon Starride Ω from my Extra Deck!" (3500/2500) "Now go, Meteor Endgame!" A mysterious hooded woman with long black hair raised her hands in prayer. Meteors began falling, tearing through Hikaru.

**Nayuta: **700

"Whenever Omega destroys a monster in attack mode, battle damage becomes that monster's total attack and defense."

Nayuta shuddered in awe. _'That thing is amazing!'_

'_It seems Hazuki has this won,' _Dr. D concluded.

Ienzo held his head down as he began to ponder the outcome. _'What trick will Nayuta pull next? No way will she let it end this early. Even if her full powers haven't awakened yet, she is still one of __**them**__.'_

"I set three cards," Hazuki explained.

Nayuta drew. "A whole year has passed. And now I too can Special Summon from my extra deck. Gwen, Avril, Yui, and Hikaru have removed themselves from play thanks to their own effects, so now I can Special Summon my own trump card. Come on out, Year's Ruler Nana!" (0/0)

A brown haired woman appeared this time. She wore a pink sweater and carried a microphone.

"She's not quite as impressive as my Omega, no offense."

"Wait until you see her effect!" Nayuta instructed. "She gains 700 attack and defense for each card on your side of the field!" (2800/2800)

"Sorry, Nayuta, but I still have the lead."

"I play God Luck gamble. If I have a Level 7 monster I can draw one card." She explained.

"You'll need a lot of luck," Hazuki warned. "So bring it on, I can't wait to see what you've got!"

Nayuta reached for her deck.

Ienzo smiled. _'I can feel it; she's subconsciously using her powers to draw what she needs. She's even better than Hazuki is at this. She's going to win.'_

"I activate Seven Star Shot. I can equip it to a Level 7 monster. She gains 700 attack points and you can't activate traps in response to her attack. Go, Npana, destroy her Omega!"

It was a suicidal attack, both monsters were destroyed. "Nana's effect activates, dealing you 700 damage!" Nayuta explained.

**Hazuki: 0**

**Duel End**

"Ha-ha, that was awesomesauce," Nayuta cheered.

"Wow," Hazuki said through tired breaths. "I had no idea someone your age could duel so well."

"I, I'm amazed," Ienzo told them. "Wow, I thought this game was just a simple game of cards. I had no idea you'd have so much to do. Trying to figure out when to attack, when to play it safe. It's way more complicated then I realized." His act had everyone fooled.

"Don't worry, you can get used to it after a while." Hazuki assured him. "It's really fun."

**. . .**

"I'm tired," Naota sighed. "We've been lost for, like, an hour."

"It's only been twenty minutes," Ryan explained. "Anyway, the most challenging part of this hedge maze is the motorized segments. They keep changing every ten minutes. They make it really difficult to find your way through." He activated his duel disk.

"Are you going to duel someone?" Hikaru asked.

"Oh, I get it," Yuu said with a smile.

"I activate the Field Spell Card- Mirrored Sky!" A large mirror appeared in the sky, giving a distorted view of a large section of the maze. It wasn't enough to see everything, but Ryan could make out a decent chunk of it. "Okay, I can see the house, and that's all that matters," he began tracing the proper route in his mind.

"This way," he decided.

**. . .**

"Ahhh," Ryou screamed as he jumped behind Emi. His long light blue wig nearly fell to the ground. He tripped over his pants, they were much too long for him.

"Don't be so frightened, Ryou-kun," Emi said, offering a hand. "Besides, your Endrance costume is too big for you to run in," she was decked out in full Boogiepop gear. "Too bad Subaru couldn't come with us."

"What's he like anyway? Ryou asked shyly. "I've never met him."

The two were currently on the third floor of the Haunted House. To make it out, they needed t get to the seventh floor, make it to the back, take an elevator to the basement, and then make it to the stairs that lead outside.

This meant they weren't even half way done and Ryou was already close to tears. The third floor consisted of white rooms painted with black stripes painted in odd patterns. People in black and white costumes would hide against the wall and jump out to scare you. You couldn't possibly tell where they were unless you had amazing eyes.

"Don't worry Ryou, it's just a game. Come on, let's make it to the end and we'll win a lot of candy."

"Ahhh," someone screamed even louder than Ryou had.

"Don't be so scared, Ienzo, you should know better than anyone that a Haunted House like this is just a game," Dr. D played his role perfectly.

Emi walked toward the second voice. "I was just telling my friend the same thing," she said, never letting go of Ryou's hand.

"Oh, nice costume," Ienzo complimented. "Boogiepop is cool. I really love the books. To bad there aren't more manga though. And maybe a visual novel or two would be cool. And a movie would be nice."

"Actually, there is."

"I meant one that doesn't suck."

"I'll give you that," Emi said with a laugh. "Hey, you guys want to walk together? It could be fun!"

"Sure, they say there's strength in numbers," Dr. D adjusted his glasses to hide the wicked smile in his eyes. "Oh, Duel Disks, you guys are Duelists as well. Then again, in this day and age, who isn't? "

Emi smiled. "So true."

"Ahhhhh!" Someone jumped at them from the wall, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Ahhhhh!" Ienzo and Ryou hugged each other in fear. (Though it was all an act on Ienzo's part.)

The four kept walking through the hall's twists and turns, waiting for the next part of this floor. "So, what kind of deck do you have?" Asked Dr. D, "Oh wait, don't tell me. Let's have a duel!"

"Right here?' Emi asked. "Okay, sounds fun." She came to a halt and activated her Duel Disk.

"Well, I was thinking maybe more along the lines of once we get out of here, but this should be fun as well. A duel in a Haunted House. This should be interesting."

'_Just make it quick, Dr. D. The sacrifice should be making it here any time now, and we need to get out of here. I'd say we just leave now, but my clones won't be able to take over the duel.'_

**Duel 3**

**Emi vs Dr. D**

"I'll move first,' said the doctor, gaining a new card. "I send the top half of my deck to the graveyard to Special Summon Tyrant God Nihil! In defense mode." (0/0) A large black orb appeared on the field. _'I now have 27 cards left. That should be good for now, as long as I don't allow the duel to drag on. Now, come, young one. Let's see what you have. Will you be a risk taker, like Nayuta? Or will you take things slowly and play defensively like the sacrifice?'_

"Go Emi, you can do it," Ryou cheered happily.

'_Aren't there any better cheers they can think of? Perhaps they don't want to be a distraction to their friends by being too unusual.' _Ienzo smiled. "Doctor, doctor, what's the prescription? Give her a taste of annihilation!"

Ryou could only stare at Ienzo in horror.

"Ummm Tyrant God of Nihilism, I pray to thee, lead my friend to victory."

"Praying to a God of nihilism seems a little odd to me," Ryou stated. "Then again I am just a kid."

"Once per turn I can use my Tyrant God to discard a card from my hand. By discarding Nihilistic Component's, I can give my God a stat boost and a new effect as well. First I discard Immortalis Famulus. So now my monster gains 500 attack and defense and can't be destroyed in battle."

He watched as his monster gained six black orbs, each with a mechanical grey eye. They orbited the main orb like satellites.

'_Dr. D's cards are all a time game. He can make his monster immune to his opponent's monster effects, spells, and traps.' _Ienzo hid his smile well. _'If he pulls that off, he'll have an invincible God that can't be touched. His opponent's only choice will be to attack directly.'_

Emi smiled. "Anything else?"

"No, I end my turn."

'_He probably loaded his deck with those components,' _surmised Emi. _'So he probably doesn't have too many spells or traps at the moment. Or at least, none worth using. He probably doesn't want to risk losing something to trap destruction if possible.'_

The female duelist drew a card. "I summon Vanish Trick Angel!" (800/0) A small angel dressed in blue appeared on the field, a bright light illuminated her long golden hair and slender figure. "I'll attack your monster, and her effect removes it from play when the battle is over!"

**Dr. D: 3700**

"I set two cards and end my turn."

'_Looks like she immediately opened up with the one card that could screw Dr. D over. I wonder. What is his plan in this situation?'_

Dr. D gained a smile along with his new card. He reached for an older card. "I activate the Spell Card Destruction, forcing both of us to discard our hands."

'_Wait a minute,' _Ienzo thought. _'Why did he save that card? His God would have gained a significant power boost._

"Next I activate ht effect of the card in my graveyard, Empty Nothing. I can special summon it from the graveyard by sending the top five cards from my deck to the graveyard."

**Dr. D Deck: 17**

Black smoke leaked from the ground. (0/0) "By releasing this monster I can activate his second effect. Sadly, since he was revived from the grave, he is now removed from play. But I am allowed to take one removed from play card and add it to my hand. So I'll pick my Tyrant God and summon him once ore by sending half my deck to the graveyard!"  
**Dr. D: Deck 8**

"Next I activate the Spell Card Void Bang. I can destroy everything on the field as long as I send an equal number of cards from my deck to the graveyard afterward."

'_This is,' _Ienzo gasped. _'This is nothing like his normal play style. He's using the opportunity to experiment. He knows we're running low on time so he's practicing a new tactic. He's taking risks to end the duel as quickly as possible in his favor.'_

A black hole appeared on the field, sucking all the cards into it. Dr. D smiled. "Now I summon Nihilistic Dragon." (0/0) A long serpentine dragon descended from the sky. His attack and defense quickly soared to 4000. "If I have five or less cards in my deck, his attack and defense become 1000 times the number of cards in my deck."

Emi gasped in pure awe.

"Direct attack, D-Thousand Blast."

"No way," Ryou gasped.

Ienzo hid his shock and surprise. _'He's better than I realized.'_

"I discard Kuriboh from my hand!" Emi announced. The attack barely fazed her.

"I set two cards and end my turn."

Emi drew. "Here we go; I activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Angel. And then, I'll release her to Special Summon Oracle Fairy." (1300/100) "When she's summoned I can choose one card on the field with an effect that boosts its own attack. Oracle Fairy gains the same amount of attack points as that monster gets it." (5300/100) "And she keeps them as long as she's on the field! Attack with oracle Burst!"

Light rained down from above, slaying the dragon. "I end my turn."

**Dr. D: 2400**

Dr. D smiled. "Three cards left in my deck, I wonder what I should do?" He laughed. I activate Nihil Gravitation. I can Special Summon up to three Nihilistic monsters from my graveyard. So I bring back Immortalis Famulus (0/0) Integer Terra (0/0) and Edurus Ventus (0/0). The three pieces appeared and Dr. D smiled. "Next I activate the facedown spell card, Return of Nothing. I can special summon a monster in my graveyard with 0 attack points and 0 defense points. So I bring back my dragon!" (3000/3000) "Next, I'll use Gift of the Martyr to offer my dragon to give his 3000 attack points to Immortalis. Next, I'll equip him with United We Stand, giving him 800 attack for each face up monster I control. He now has 5400 attack."

'_Just enough to scratch Emi's Life Points,' _thought Ienzo. _'I wonder what else he has in store.'_

"Next I use Limiter Removal, doubling my monster's attack!" (10800) "Destroy her monster!"

**Emi: 0**

**Duel End**

Emi let out a sigh of defeat. "That was a cool duel," she said. "I only wish my friend Subaru was here. He's an amazing duelist. You would have loved meeting him."

"Oh, he didn't want to come?" Dr. D inquired.

"He was sick and couldn't make it."

**. . .**

"Hah, and we made it!" Ryan opened the door. "I can't believe the mirror trick actually worked."

"You, my dear cousin, are a genius."

Ryan smiled. "Now, Naota, remember, everything we are about to see is all a fake. It might look scary, but it's just make believe, it's all for fun."

Yuu smiled. "And if you get scared, don't worry, you can just hold my hand."

'_You can call me mental if you want_. _But I know what I like_. _Sweet slash, delicious yaoi, and shounen-ai_. _It's my fantasy delight,' _Hikaru smiled as the lyrics played in her head.

They walked through the threshold and felt the chilled air swallowing them whole. _'What's going on?' _Ryan wondered. He stumbled back and forth. "I feel so dizzy." The hallway began to waver, twisting and bending, warping in an unnatural and distorted way.

Naota fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain. "Owww," he bent over, curling into a ball.

"Naota, are you okay," Yuu dropped to his knees to be with his friend. He placed his hand on Naota's shoulder.

"Okay, this has got to be the freakiest haunted house ever, no wonder it's so famous," Ryan told everyone. _'Oh dear Haruhi I hope they buy that. No way this is normal, something super natural is going on.'_

Hikaru stumbled forward. Something slimy burst through the rotted wooden floor and grabbed her leg. "Kyaaa," she screamed as she tripped. A gross green hand wrapped its thin fingers around her ankle. She jerked her leg away and heard a sickening crunch as the fingers broke off.

Spiders began crawling out of the floor and toward Naota. Yuu swatted them away with his leg. Naota started to cry. "I, I don't like it here. I want to go home." He pushed the button on his necklace, but it didn't work. Yuu tried his as well.

"Mine's busted," he announced.

"Mine too," Ryan joined.

Hikaru tried hers but got similar results.

A high-pitched wailing sounds filled the room, forcing Naota to cover his ears. The eerie noise sent chills down his spine.

'_Okay, the good news is, none of this has been that serious so far. Naota's the only one who seems to be taking it that hard.'_

The young boy shut his eyes in fear. "I want to go home," he cried.

"Look at me," Yuu told him.

Naota opened his eyes and looked up at his friend.  
"I, Yuu vi Britannia command you, whenever things are looking their worst, **be brave and smile!"**

Naota wiped his tears away and began to smile. "Okay, there's no way to go but forward!" He grabbed Yuu's hand. "Thanks Yuu."

Yuu smiled warmly at his best friend.

"Foolish mortals," a voice boomed.

"Foolish mortals?" Hikaru laughed. "Is that the best they can come up with?"

A creepy figure appeared. It had a skull for a head and carried a scythe. Skeletal arms protruded from beneath a tattered red cloak. "I am the lord of this domain. Duel me or you shall never pass this point."

"They never said anything about having to duel," Yuu complained as he activated his Duel Disk. Ryan's arm shot out in front of him.

"No, Yuu, I can sense it. This guy looks scary but he's weak. I want to crush him. How about we turn this horror into a comedy?"  
From faraway, Ienzo watched with an amused expression. "You were right, Dr. D, those illusions were perfect for them. After all, no reason to show them anything truly terrifying. After all, Halloween is still meant to be fun." Ienzo held a hand to his mouth as he giggled. "This duel should be entertaining. I've never seen Ryan duel before."

"It matters not. The Duel Spirit we selected for this mission is much too powerful for someone his age. Ryan doesn't stand a chance against him."

"My, my, I'm disappointed in you, Dr. D. Making such assumptions isn't like you."

Ryan and the mystery figure both activated their Duel Disks.

**Final Duel**

**Ryan vs ????**

A purple mist began flowing toward the skeletal figure, giving him flesh and hair. He looked like a pale old man with wrinkles skin and long flowing white hair. "Oh, a face to read? This just got over 9000 times easier," Ryan joked. "So what are you, a hologram?"

"Cut the act Ryan. We know it's some sort of actual supernatural creature. We also know you know and you're just trying to protect us."

"Yeah, we're not kids, Ryan," Hikaru told him.

Ryan frowned. _'Okay, fine, whatever.'_

"You should give up now," said the figure. "You haven't a chance against me. I set two cards face down and summon Vampiress Slider!" (1770/1330) A pale vampire with long black hair and a red dress appeared on his field.

"Interesting stats. So few monsters these days have attacks that aren't divisible by 50. So, let me guess, that thing has an effect, doesn't it?"

"What makes you so sure?" The creature asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ryan smiled. "Well, I wasn't. But based on your reaction, I can safely say it does. Your tone gave it away. Even if you had been playing along to mess with me, I'd have been able to tell if I was wrong based on your response. Unless of course, you've got excellent acting skills, but I highly doubt that."

"You're right. She does have an effect. Whenever she destroys a monster in battle, I gain 300 Life Points times that monsters level."

Ryan hid his smile well. _'That was actually a load of bull I just fed him. Most monsters these days are effect monsters, I just guessed. Hopefully he bought my act; it'll make things a lot easier.'_

"I end my turn."

Ryan drew. "Two facedowns and a face down defense mode monster." Ryan told his opponent. "Your move."

'_Is that all he's doing this turn? His style reminds me of the sacrifice's.' _Ienzo smiled.

Yuu watched with excitement. _'I bet he's going to use that card.'_

"I summon Vampiress Nocturnacle Owl." (1600/1300) A large owl like creature appeared on the mystery player's field. Its head spun around, his eyes lit up on fire, and he let out a horrific screeching noise. Naota whimpered in fear. Yuu held him tightly. "When he attacks directly I am allowed to draw one card," the duelists explained. "So first I will equip my Slider with Vampiress Nails. She gains 1000 attack for each Vampiress monster I control."

Hikaru dug her nails into her palms. _'Dammit, that card is way too powerful. It's like a super strong version of United. His monster just jumped to 3770 attack points.'_

"Slider, attack his face down."

"Go, Will=Defense! Listen up because this is one of the most complicated cards in the game. You attacked a face down monster, so now this card comes into play. First, you have to guess if my card is a normal monster or not. Then you need to guess how high its defense is, in increments of 50, up to 10000.

"Now, if you are right about whether it's a normal monster or not, and you guess a number equal to or higher than its defense, you are allowed to draw up to five cards. As you realize, those five cards will be a great advantage and could easily alter the flow of the duel. However, if you guess a number that's too low, then the attack is negated, and the attacking monster is sent to the top of your deck. So you want to guess high.

"But, if you're wrong about what kind of monster it is, then my monster gains defense equal to the number you chose. So, think carefully."

The mysterious duelist thought it over for a moment. _'I don't want to lose my monster, perhaps I should just guess a high number and hope for the best. Minimize the risk. _"Effect monster, 2000."

"Reveal yourself, Lady in Wight!" (0/2200) "Your monster is returned to the top of your deck, and your equip card sent to the grave. Now, obviously, a card that powerful has a drawback, probably one that happens when it's sent to the graveyard. What happens now?"

"I take 1000 damage."

**????: 3000**

'_You frowned more when I said your equip card was sent to the graveyard, I took a guess and it turns out I was right. If I can keep this up, I can mind screw him into losing.'_

"I end my turn."

Ryan drew. "I'll set another monster face down."

Ienzo suppressed a giggle. _'I take it back, his style is nothing like the sacrifice's. It's nothing like a normal duelists. He likes mind games. He's practically turned Duel Monsters into another game entirely.'_

Dr. D frowned. _'What is his costume supposed to be. I should take a picture and post it on yahoo Questions.'_

"I summon Vampiress Slide," said the man. "Next, I activate my trap card, Vampiress Gravity. When I normal summon a Vampiress monster I can special summon another from my hand. So I bring out Vampiress Knight!" A young blonde girl with a black and red dress and a long silver blade appeared. Blood dripped from her mouth." (0/0) "While she's in attack, all Vampiress cards get 1000 extra attack points."

'_Odd,' _thought Ryan. _'I thought perhaps he'd be a Duel Spirit, but he's yet to lay himself. They usually do so quickly, at least, according to the stories. And his Vampiress cards are surprising. At first I thought they'd be a bunch of female vampires, but then Owl showed up.'_

"Go, Slide, destroy Lady in Wight!"

Slide slid forward and slashed through the zombie. "Now I gain 900 Life Points."

**????: 3900**

"Let me guess, you're too afraid to attack my face down."

"You dare mock me? Go, Owl, kill the face down monster."

'_Where did we get this guy?' _Wondered Ienzo. _'The others said he was good, but Ryan is making a mockery of him.'_

"Remember this card? Go, Will=Defense."

"Effect, 2200. I'm willing to bet you thought you could get another Lady in Wight on the field and use both their effects to protect yourself."

"As if, I'd have just played the second one face up. Go, Giant Soldier of Stone." (1300/2000) "You just gave my monster a 2200 point defense boost!"

The owl's beak crashed into the Giant Soldier of Stone's body.

**????: 2300**

"You really suck at this game, don't you. I haven't even begun using my good cards yet."

The monster growled. "I end my turn."

"I activate Polymerization, fusing my Giant Soldier of Stone with the Millennium Shield in my hand. I summon Iron Giant the Shield Bearer!" (1300/4500) "In defense mode!" A giant iron soldier appeared, holding a giant Millennium Shield.

"You play a wall against me? I will make you regret this. By activating the trap card, Vampire's Lure. I choose one monster on your field and at the end of the turn, I will gain Life Points equal to its defense."

"Oh wow, looks like you're trying to heal. Go ahead, increase your Life Points all you want. It won't matter, I'll tear them down again. In fact, I'll help you out. I activate the Spell Card, Fusion Boost. If one of the Fusion Material monsters used in a fusion had a stat boost, it carries over to my new monster. Meaning my monster gains 2200 defense."

"You fool, you will only make this easier for me."

"I end my turn."

A dark glow surrounded Ryan's card, dropping its defense to 0. "Did I mention your monster loses its defense? " The glow snaked toward the mystery figure.

**????: 9000**

"Forfeit now," the being laughed. White light surrounded his body and began wrapping around Yuu, Hikaru, and Naota. "Or , when I win, I will destroy your friends."

"Let them go!" Ryan barked.

"Hah," Yuu laughed. "You won't win, Ryan is going to beat you next turn."

Hikaru smiled. "Ryan, show us all what you're made of."

Naota grinned. "I swear that if I'm not even scared, then you must be a crappy Halloween villain," he joked.

Ryan watched his opponent draw. "I activate the Spell Card, Devil's Meteor Crush. This turn, all Dark Monster's can inflict piercing damage. Now, go, Slide, attack his monster!"

Slide crushed the Iron Giant in her palm.

**Ryan: 1230**

**????: 11100**

"Now end this, attack directly, Owl!"

"I summon Kurinin from my hand!" (300/200) A small furry ninja appeared and slashed through the owl. "I can Special Summon this card to negate an attack and destroy a monster," Ryan said with a grin.

"I end my turn."

Ryan drew and smiled. "How about I end this right here, right now?" He held his card tightly. "I activate the Spell Card Premature Burial, by paying 800 Life Points I can revive my Lady in Wight!" (0/2200)

**Ryan: 420**

"I activate the Spell Card Ultimate Guessing Game. This is another really complicated card. First of all, let me say that this card can not be chained to. In addition, its effect can not be negated by any cards already in effect. First, we call out Spell, Trap, or Monster card. Then I pick a number. If I'm right and you're wrong, you take that amount of damage. However, you can back out. If you do, then I get to draw up to five cards. Or you can choose a higher number. In that case, I can either choose a higher one or back out. If I back out, then you get to draw up to five cards. Of course, there's also the chance we're both right or both wrong. If we're both wrong, we take half the amount in damage. If we're both right, then nothing happens.

"Now, I bet you're wondering, right or wrong about what? See, after all that, we pick random cards in our each other's hands that we think are of the type called out. So this means we could easily know that our opponent will never win. Of course, we may never know if we'll lose either.

I know it sounds complicated, but let's just get to it. I say Spell."

"Trap."

"Then I'll I pick out the number," Ryan thought it over for a minute. "15000!"

'_Bloody Hell!' _Thought Ienzo. _'That can instantly end the game. Who the Hell came up with that card? I mean, if you see your opponent's hand ahead of time, you're practically guaranteed to end up drawing up to five cards.'_

"What? You're willing to end it all on some silly little game?"

"Are you backing out?"

His opponent nodded.

Ryan drew five cards. "Too bad," he said, revealing his first card. "It was a trap. Last Turn. I'll set it right now. Then, I summon Reflecting Moon Maiden!" (0/0)

While she's in attack mode, she can't be destroyed by battle and any monster that attacks her is returned to its owner's hand."

"No," the mystery man growled. "That means, next turn you'll activate Last Turn and I'll have to attack her, but I'll lose my monster."

:And I'll win," Ryan said with a grin

"I end this turn!"

."I forfeit," the creature said. His body withered away slowly, turning to dust, and leaving behind only a card. The door opened, and a breeze blew it away.

**Duel End**

Ryan let out a laugh. "Man that was fun. So, what do you guys say? Want to hurry up and blaze through this Haunted House?"

Yuu smiled. "That was amazing, Ryan. Now let's hurry up and go win that candy!"

Hikaru grinned. "No way am I giving up on this event after all we've been through. The entrance fee was 2500 Yen per person. No way am I admitting defeat to them."

Naota stood up bravely. "I'm not going to hold my friends back!"

. . .

Nayuta, Haley, Hazuki, Lyra, and the clones all stepped through the door. "Huh," Hazuki wondered out loud. She noticed a card stuck in the window. It was of a skeletal man growing wrinkled skin and long black hair. "This card looks pretty cool," she said as she slipped it into her pocket. "Necromancer of the Vampires."

**The End**

**Hikaru: Why are there so many cards named Hikaru?**

**Kira: You'll see. Anyway I have a lot of work to do for English, so this might be my last update for awhile.**

**Ryan: My duel sucked.**

**Kira:Sorry.**


	38. Cyber Shock Showdown

Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long. I haven't been feeling very well. Anyway I had a Christmas Special planned, but that didn't work out now did it? Ummm, oh I have some very important notes. I've been planning things out and it seems Ryou and Morganna will get a bit more screen time, but Naota and Hikaru should still be the main characters.** Oh and there will be character deaths happening eventually, just to warn you.**

**It's been a while, I apologize if I have lost my touch.**

Wait, in Kousuke's duel..did I call Gemini Elf _**Mystic **_Elf?

Oh and I need to retcon some stuff in Ender's intro chapter soon. But not now. Sorry for always retconning stuff, I fail. orz

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX

**~xXxXxXxXxXx~**

Ienzo sighed as he casually flipped through his shoujo manga. "I wish real life were this simple. Go to school, fall in love, be happy." He sat in a small garden full of purple irises, enjoying the calm and quite atmosphere. Petals continuously fell from a nearby cherry blossom tree, only to shatter the instant they touched the ground. It gave a mystic effect available only through magic.

_'This plan is so complicated sometimes not even I know what's going on,'_ Ienzo turned the page and raised a hand to his mouth to suppress a girlish giggle. "Oh, Haku, why don't you just tell Kazeko how you feel?" He pretended to be enjoying himself, when he was really feeling tormented._ 'The Octogram is split into two halves, the Lightside and the Darkside. The Darkside seeks to free the entire Octogram while the Lightside wants to keep everyone sealed away. To achieve this, both sides have created their servants. And now we need to corrupt humans in order to do what we can't do ourselves.' _Ienzo stood up and snapped his manga shut. The flower petals behind him suddenly shattered and unleashed a sickeningly sweet scent into the air. Darkness crept up the trunk of the cherry blossom tree and caused all the petals to wilt. Shadows crept along the ground, draining the irises of all life. The servant held up a hand and smiled as all the negative energy in his garden gathered at his fingertips, forming a card. "She should find this card to be quite useful in her duel."

. . .

Nayuta tapped her feet worriedly. "I don't like this one bit. Ryou won't answer his phone and Hikaru hasn't responded at all." She looked at Emi and Eirin, who seemed to be mildly worried. "I hope they're okay."

Emi's eyes avoided Nayuta's. She was unwilling to admit her blunder in losing another friend just yet. _'First Subaru, now Ryou. I hope I can save them both.'_

Eirin gave a concerned glance to Naota. "Hikaru's an Obelisk Blue. If they challenge her to a duel, I'm sure she can handle herself well enough." She felt like a mother trying to counsel one of her children's friends. "Don't frown like that Naota. When she gets here, she'll want to see you smiling. Shouldn't you smile for her?"

Naota wouldn't speak. _'I already lost Yuu. I don't want to lose Hikaru as well.' _Tears began welling up in his eyes. _'I'm not a kid, I shouldn't cry so much.' _He let out a gasp of air as Nayuta suddenly hugged him tightly. She decided to take a different approach.

"Naota, it's okay to cry if you want," she said in an uncharacteristically sweet voice. "I know you probably want to try to be strong and act brave, but right now a lot is happening. Go ahead and cry."

"B-but, you saw what happened in my duel. I only won because I got super lucky. It was like Ashton knew I'd need that card and gave it to me just to duel thorn. Sure, Hikaru's much better than me, but what if her opponent is better than Thorn?"

Nayuta stroked his hair, imitating something her mother used to do for her. "Then she'll just call upon a divine miracle as well. The good guys always win, remember? Besides, this is Hikaru we're talking about. Worse comes to worse, she'll probably beat the crap out of her opponent and send him home crying."

Naota gave a slight chuckle.

Eirin frowned. "I'm sure Hikaru's okay for now, but what we need to worry about are our opponents. It seems like they've got some powerful players on their side. Thorn is a Pro Duelist. And he's been around for years. Who knows how long the Octogram has been up to their plans. We don't know if they recruited him recently, or if he's always been on their side."

"Furthermore," Emi stated, "the Dark Synchro Monsters worry me. They sound like they've got some wicked powerful effects." She slumped against the wall of the Obelisk Blue girl's dorm and pounded a fist into her palm. "Just when things were looking easier. The Organization's been doing poorly. Sure they've increased their numbers, but they haven't done any real damage. They don't have anyone too powerful on their side besides a few key players, and we've been defeating most of them pretty easily."

"Except Amber," Nayuta said gloomily, reflecting on her defeat. "I'd be toast if Eirin hadn't intervened."

"But we've been practicing and you're getting better." Her older sister reminded her.

"..."

"...."

"...."

With nothing much to say, the group fell into synchronized ellipsing.

. . .

Haley sat against the wall of the Ra Yellow dorm. His legs curled under him as he sat in the seiza position. "So, Takuya," he spoke into his cell phone, do you really think that Skeith will be summoned soon."

"Yes, Skeith's power deals with human emotions of despair. The seal is weakening. Even if the Organization doesn't fully comprehend what it is doing, they are doing well enough to slowly erode its power. That will make three down, and five more to go." The was a pause. "But you know this don't you, Haley? Tell em, why did you really call?"

"...I wanted to talk to you," he answered honestly.

"..." Takuya paused again. "I'm busy Haley. Don't waste my time." Takuya hung up.

Haley closed his phone. "Heheheh, I guess I should have known better." He turned upward to look at the fluffy clouds in the sky. "I should have known that you would hang up on me. After all, Taku-chan, you're not here to make friends, are you?" The wind blew by coldly, letting off a soft moaning sound. "I get it now, I'm alone." Without anyone around, he had no reason to fake his usual cheery mood. A dark grin spread across his face. "That cloud, it looks like a Blue Eyes White Dragon." He held up his hand into the wind as a bright aura lit up his fingertips, taking the shape of a card.

Blue Eyes Cloudian Dragon.

"Maybe Sora might like this card," he mused.

. . .

Nayuta sat on the grass, enjoying the smell of the crisp air. It was almost soothing enough to melt away her worries. She maintained a calm facade, like a swan swimming through the lake. Nobody looking at her would suspect her heart was thrashing underneath the surface. _'Dammit, it's been over an hour and Hikaru still hasn't replied!' _She drummed her fingers against her knee, timing it with the melody in her head. It was Claire de Lune with a rock beat.

Naota began chewing on his nails, a bad habit he thought he had gotten rid of. He scanned the area, hoping for signs of his friend. Surely she must be on her way, right?

Eirin watched her sister for any signs of despair. _'I know she's worried about her friend, but she seems to be keeping her cool.'_

Emi merely stood in place, her cape billowed in the mighty breeze.

Naota suddenly felt a sharp pain run through his head, like someone has stabbed it with a rusty dagger. "Owww," he moaned.

"This is just like when Thorn was around," Nayuta noted.

A dark portal of ethereal colors opened behind Naota. He struggled to stand up, but his gave out and he tumbled backwards straight through the multi-colored magical ingress.

"Naota," Nayuta gasped. She jumped forward, following the boy into a world of darkness.

**Thud.**

Nayuta hit the ground hard. "Oww," she rubbed her leg in pain. _'God knows where we are,' _she thought as she examined their surroundings.

She peered between the golden bars that had her and Naota completely surrounded. "Looks like we're in a cage," she observed. They were on a rocky cliff with fissures spreading through the ground like creepy limbs on a Halloween themed tree. A chasm opened up beneath them, revealing a raging white river gushing over spiky looking rocks.

_"In the darkness of the night_."

An ethereal voice sang a beautiful yet sad song. _'I know this song,' _Nayuta realized. But she couldn't quite place it. It was like a distant faded memory or a remnant of a dream.

_"You offered me your hand._

_"Oh why couldn't I take it?_

_"Why was I afraid? Oh why was I so afraid?"_

A girl materialized before Nayuta and Naota. "So, looks like you two are my opponents. Sorry but I don't do triangle duels. So one of you is going to have to wait your turn. So, who wants to go first?"

She had long brown hair that fell to her waist, but she wore them in pig tails so Nayuta couldn't tell how long it really was. She wore a tight black shirt that hugged her curves and left her stomach exposed, detached sleeves that flowed off her fingers, and a black skirt and thigh highs that left her exposed legs at the the supposed perfect ratio, it was a super-moe zettai ryouiki. "Some on, don't be shy."

Based on voice alone, Nayuta could tell she was the singer.

Nayuta bravely rose to her feet, but quickly collapsed again. "Oww, my leg." She said, rubbing her ankle. _'Dammit, I don't want to put the pressure on Naota to save me. I don't do damsel in distress too well, and he doesn't need any more pressure.' _A pained expression spread across her face.

"Where are the others?" Naota asked.

"Emi and Eirin went through there own portals. As for your friend Hikaru, she's with another friend of mine. Knowing _her, _she already has your girlfriend beat." The girl said with a grin. "So, since the girl can't even stand, I guess you're my foe."

Naota tried to activate his duel disk, but he couldn't move his wrist. "Mmmmm," he let out a small whimper as pain shot throughout his hand.

"Oh come on you two, what kind of action heroes get hurt falling through a magic portal?" The villain smacked her forehead with her palm. "Seriously, this is basic villain stuff. we abduct you guys through magic portals, you fight back, we get into an epic clash. Then finally, we subvert the cliché by having you good guys fail int he end. The baddies win and we all laugh and dance on your graves." She grinned with malice.. "Okay, listen up, I the great Ilya, am going to keep you two hostage until one of your friends comes and frees you. But, knowing my friends, your allies will fall long before that happens."

. . .

Ross sat in his bed flipping through a dirty magazine as he practiced his lines out loud. "Remove your hands from her lovely visage or I shall remove them for you. Oh, it is a duel you desire. Then come, we shall duel to the tune an electric hum. I promise that with a mere four turns our battle shall be done, and I shall emerge victorious. When that time comes, apologize to this lovely lady." He rubbed his stomach hungrily. "I want a snack," he said suddenly. He quickly stuffed his magazine underneath his mattress and headed out the door.

"Oh, hey, Ross, how are you?" Isamu was passing by in the hallways when Ross stepped out. "I was just going to go to the gym to work out, you want to join me?" Isamu had changed out of his blazer and was wearing a white cotton shirt with black gym shorts.

"No thanks, I'm just going to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat. I hope they have some key lime pie left," Ross said with a grin.

"Okay, I'm just gonna," Isamu froze. "You know what, I think I'll go with you, pie sounds nice." Isamu began following Ross through the hallways. "So, you working hard on your lines?"

"Yep, I don't want to be a disappointment to the school." Ross said plainly.

"Since when are you into plays anyway? When we were little you were only ever into sports and '_manly_' stuff. Hell, I remember that one kid in Elementary who said he wanted to be an actor. You teased the Hell out of him." Isamu said with a sigh. "He ended up crying because of you."

"Hey, don't remind me. I'm trying to forget what a jerk I used to be." Ross sighed regretfully. "Besides, that kid ended up being my best friend."

"Really? I thought you just hung out with him because you had a thing for his sister."

"That was just a fringe benefit," Ross insisted, almost hurt. "He was my best friend growing up, I still miss him."

"I miss him to," Isamu told Ross. "He died too suddenly."

"I'm not in the mood for pie," Ross admitted. His appetite had assuaged as the sad memories stirred in his mind. It did more to upset his mood than losing a duel and flunking a test in the same day. "I'm heading back to my room," he said as he turned around.

"Me neither, I guess I'll head to the gym after all," Isamu admitted as he sprang toward the doors like an Olympic runner. He thrust them open and found himself gazing at a peculiar sight. "What is that?" He wondered out loud.

Ross gave a curious look as he changed directions once more. he was starting to feel a little dizzy.

Isamu dashed to the portal without stopping to catch his breath. He was in fairly decent shape, so it wasn't too difficult for him. He crossed the distance in no time. Even Ross, a formerstar athlete on his Junior High's baseball and football teams was having trouble keeping up. _'What's with that portal?' _He wondered. _'I saw Naota and his friends vanish through them, I hope they're okay.' _He didn't even take any time to think.

"Shouldn't we be taking time to consider the risks of what we're doing?" Ross asked as he struggled to catch up with his friend.

With his brain set in 'hero mode' Isamu leaped into the portal with a smile.

And landed on a rocky cliff.

"Looks like we have a player for our little game."

"What's going on here?" Isamu demanded angrily. His fist quaked with anger when he saw Naota and Nayuta hel prisoner in a golden cage. "Hey, let them go."

"If you can defeat me," Ilya stated as she materialized before Isamu. "But first introdu-oh?" She paused as Ross fell out of the portal, landing face first. "Oh, looks like we have another potential player for our game. Who would liek to eb the first to duel I, the great Ilya?" She smiled as she bowed to the two males.

Ross looked up and immediately felt himself blushing as he stared at Ilya. His eyes hovered over her chest for a moment before turning to the rest of her body. "I'll do,"

"No way," Isamu face palmed. "You're likely to not take this duel seriously enough. Besides, obviously something magical is at work, so it could be dangerous. I should be the one to duel her, seeing as I'm the better duelist, no offense."

"Yeah, better duelist, getting your ass handed to you in the tournament." Ross jibed playfully.

"At least I made it to the second round," Isamu reminded his friend.

Ilya frowned. "Wow, you two sure don't seem all that surprised by my magic tricks. The portal, my materializing from nowhere. This whole separate dimension. According to my allies, you haven't faced any of us before."

"No offense," Isamu said with genuine politeness, "but we've seen scarier magic before."

Ross smiled. "But, before we resort to such barbarian tactics, how about we try being polite first. Could you let our friends go? I'd hate to make a beautiful woman such as yourself an enemy when you could be a potential,"

Ilya yawned. "Enough with this, you're not my type."

Isamu's Duel Disk hummed ecstatically as it sprang to life, snapping into place with loud clanks. "Let's forgo any further banter and let our battle commence. He drew six cards and immediately set two. "I'll play two face down cards and summon Armed Samurai-Ben Kei." (500/800) The legendary warrior stood tall as his adamant glare looked straight forward at the unguarded Ilya. He gripped one of the many weapons on his back, anxiously waiting for the chance to strike. "Your move."

"I should have gone first, seeing as I'm the lady here," Ilya growled as she grasped six cards in her hand. "Looks like I already have what I need. game Over for you."

"So, with all those video game jokes you're making, I assume you have a game themed deck. Gradius, perhaps?" Isamu questioned.

"Weren't you the one who vetoed banter? And no, Gradius decks are weak, my deck is one that will strike fear into your heart."

Ross growled like a lion, but said nothing.

"Don't worry, Ross," Isamu said with a grin. "I won't let her win."

Ilya held a card in her fingertips and slapped it onto her Duel Disk. Lights sparkled as the solid vision brought the card to life. "As you have a monster on the field, and I do not, I will Special Summon Cyber Dragon from my hand!" (2100/1600) A silver snake like dragon materialized high above the battle field, hovering in the sky like a god waiting to pass judgment on its enemies. "Now, I shall perform my normal summon. Come forth, Cyber Dragon Zwei." (1500/1000) The second silver snake like dragon slithered into the air and straightened itself out, pointing at Isamu with an intense stare. Isamu could sense the card's glare, and began wondering if the magic at hand meant he'd have more than just a hologram to deal with. "Now I'll use Double Summon to bring Armored Cybern to the field." (0/2000) A yellow machine stormed the field and pointed two laser guns at Isamu. "Now, I reveal the machine Duplication in my hand to have Cyber Dragon Zwei's effect activate. By revealing a Spell in my hand it's name will be counted as Cyber Dragon until the turn's end. Now I can activate my Armored Cybern's effect. I can equip it to my Cyber Dragon Zwei as a Union Monster."

"You sure you want to completely toss away your hand advantage like this? One Mirror Force will destroy everything you have and leave you at my mercy for the remainder of the duel." Isamu gloated.

"I activate my Cybern's other effect." The machine equipped itself to the dragon and fired its lasers at Ben Kei, shattering the card to bits. "By lowering my Cyber Dragon's attack by 1000 I can destroy a monster ont he field." (500/100)

Isamu gulped, knowing what would come next. "I next activate the Machine Duplication in my hand to Special Summon two more Cyber Dragons from my deck." (2100/1600) Two more Cyber Dragons joined their friend in the sky. They danced around in a circle, ominously floating above Isamu's head, ready to strike at any moment. "Seeing as you had your Ben Kei out, you obviously meant to protect it. So while your cards could possibly be a Mirror Force, I'm still going to risk it. You seemed to be trying to protect it with your words as well. You probably had something like a Kunai with Chain waiting to switch my monster to defense and boost your monster's attack at the same time. I might be wrong, but there's too much to gain. Go, Cyber Dragons. Cybertech Massacre!" The four Cyber Dragons opened their mouths and fired sky blue beams of light at Isamu."

"Trap Card activate," Isamu said triumphantly. "Go, A Hero Emerges!" Isamu held his hand out for Ilya to select her card. "Come on, pick one. You know what happens if you're wrong."

"Far right," she stated, crossing her fingers and hoping it was a Spell or Trap.

"Tch," Isamu clicked his tongue. "Come on out, Ben Kei," (500/800) Isamu slapped a second Armed Samurai onto his Duel Disk, frowning at the fact it wouldn't last much longer than the first.

"Continue the attack, Cyber Dragon," Ilya ordered. Her monster's blue light wave erradicated the helpless samurai. It was in defense mode though, so Isamu's Life Points remained untouched. "Now, direct attack, the three of you."

"I activate Magic Cylinder to redirect one of your attacks back at you!" A magical cylinder appeared and swallowed one of the three attacks, firing it back at Ilysa s the other two struck Isamu's chest. he let out a grunt of pain as he fell to the ground. Ilya stood there, barely phased by the trap.

**Isamu: 1400**

**Ilya: 1900**

"Looks like you scraped by this turn, my dear. But don't get overconfident. I'll be waiting for my next trun, so that I may crush you." She revealed her final card with a smile. It was Powerbond.

_'Crap,' Ross thought with worry._ 'If he destroys two Cyber Dragons, he can escape facing Cyber End Dragon, but he'll still need to face Cyber twin Dragon. And either way that's a powerhouse with more Attack than his Life Points.

"And, seeing as you didn't play it last turn, I'm guessing you don't have any powerful trap cards that can turn this around. So unless you draw it this turn, you're screwed." Ilya surmised.

Naota grinned. "That's where she's wrong," he said to Nayuta. "It's entirely possible that Isamu knew he'd survive the first turn and needed to hold his superior trap cards for later. Advanced players know not to throw out every card at once, or else a Heavy Storm or Lightning Vortex could wipe everything away."

Isamu's hand size grew by a single card. "You realize that I only need 2400 Attack points to crush you, right? And my deck type focuses on boosting my monster's attacks. I have countless equip cards with which to enhance my monster's strength, and you have no cards to protect yourself with." Isamu grinned. "I set one monster facedown and set a card on the field." With two cards on his field protecting him from defeat, he was certain he was safe for now.

Ilya drew. "I'll remove my Cybern and place it in defense mode." She moved the Union Monster from the Spell and Trap Zone to the Monster Zone, and watched as it appeared in front of her, ready to protect her from Isamu's blade. "Now I'll reveal the Polymerization I drew and have my Cyber Dragon Zwei upgrade itself from a cheap imitation to the real deal."

"It lacks the original's attack, I say it's still an imitation," Ross said bluntly.

Ilya growled. "Its true ability lies in its powerful fusions." She slapped her Polymerization onto the Duel Disk, fusing the Cyber Dragon Zwei with two of the regular Cyber Dragons. A swirling vortext absorbed the three machines and spat out a new machine that resembled a winged hydra. Its three heads roared as they lashed out Isamu, desperate to tear him apart. (4000/2800) "Be glad I'm not using Power Bond."

_'Too bad,' thought Isamu. _'_I'd have won.'_

"Attack his facedown with your Holy Inferno!" Its three heads roared and unleashed three powerful streams of blue light that blew up Isamu's facedown card with ease. (800/1200)

"Mysterious Guard's effect activates, returning your Cyber Dragon to the top of your deck." Isamu stated.

"Ha, it doesn't matter. The piercing damage is enough to end you," Ilya gloated. Her Cyber Dragon vanished in a sparkle of lights.

"Not if I activate Spirit Barrier." Isamu countered. The blue lights broke through his defense and headed straight toward him. An ethereal barrier erected itself between him and the attack, intercepting the incoming danger.

"Heh," Ilya chuckled. "Do you realize what is likely to happen? Go ahead and play a monster. I'll just destroy it with my Cuy

"But you don't know what I could draw. Mirror Force, Astral barrier, Marauding captain. Any of those would turn this duel in my favor," Isamu countered. He drew, knowing Ilya's turn was over. _'Even if I do summon a monster, she could always use Cyber End Dragon as a sacrifice for Cyber Dragon, then use Cybern to destroy my monster. I'd be left with 300 Life Points.' _He went for his next card. "Please!" he begged. His deck rewarded his faith with Goblin Attack Force._" _(2300/0)_ "_I summon Goblin Attack Force to the field._" _He grinned. "Attack Cybern." On his command, the three goblins sprung forward and began brutally clubbing the monster. The loud clanks annoyed Ilya as she watched her machine being turned into hunk of useless scrap metal. "Naturally, the Goblins are switched to defense mode."

Ilya growled as she reached for the Cyber Dragon at the top of her deck. "Go, destroy Goblin Attack Force!" Cyber End Dragon happily obeyed, eagerly firing an attack from the heavens. Its mechanical snarl filled the air as Goblin Attack force vanished in the light. Isamu's muscles tensed up as he reached for his next card, he knew that a single bad draw could end it for him. But he smiled as he drew one of the games best staple cards.

"I activate Pot of Greed," he said as he traded his single card for two more. _'Metalmorph and Call of the Haunted. I just need to hope she doesn't get a new monster this turn and I can revive Ben Kei and win the duel with these cards and a single extra equip.' _He placed three cards face down. "I set two cards and a monster in defense." He crossed his fingers as he waited for Ilya's turn.

"I summon a second Cyber Dragon Zwei," (1500/100) Ilya smiled as another Dragon appeared on her field. "Now, need I repeat myself, it's Game Over Isamu, Cyber End Dragon, attack his afcedown monster and Cyber Dragon Zwei, end this!" The two monsters fired their attacks, but Isamu was ready for them.

"Looks like I'm not winning this turn," he watched his first monster blow up, but he was ready for the direct attack. "Go, Call of the Haunted, bring back Goblin Attack Force." (2300/0) The three goblins raised their clubs and blocked the stream of energy from the Cyber Dragon Zwei. The light tore into the ground, sending rocks and rubble flying everywhere. "My move!" Isamu prayed, knowing that he would need to end this soon. If he only kept stalling, surely Ilya would draw what she needed. "Here we go! I activate Premature Burial on Ben Kei, reviving the samurai from my graveyard!" (500/800) The samurai gripped its blade tightly as it waited for the order to attack. "Go, Metalmorph." (2600/0) A metal coating of armor coated the Goblins, boosting their stats. Now go, Goblin Attack Force, obliterate his Cyber End Dragon. (4300/0) two of the goblins dropped their clubs and grabbed their friends limbs. They swung him back and forth, letting him rise a little higher each time until finally they let go. He soared through the air, landing on Cyber End Dragon's back, clubbing the monster with all the momentum of a speeding bullet. The deadly machine fell to the ground and exploded brilliantly. The goblin emerged from the resulting smoke, acting as if nothing had happened.

**Ilya's Life Points: 1300**

Ilya laughed. "Oh wow, your Goblins killed my Cyber End Dragon, Too bad for you they switch to defense mode, meaning I can easily destroy them next turn. Even if I let them live so I can go after your Ben Kei before it becomes a threat, they still won't be able to do anything for a whole 'nother turn."

"Why'd he revive his Ben Kei. It can't do anything. At least not this turn. besides, his hand advantage is gone." Naota wondered.

Nayuta grinned. "It's as Ilya implied. They're both potential threats. She can only take on one. Besides, he needs monsters out for Spirit Barrier to work."

Ross grinned. "Come on, you can do it Isamu."

Ilya drew her card and grinned. "I set my Cyber Summon Blaster," she warned. "Now I can win simply by Special Summoning two Machine Type monsters, regardless of whatever defenses you have ready." She pointed, and Cyber Zwei Dragon launched itself forward, smashing through the defenseless goblins, blasting them to bits with brute force. "Your move."

"Heh, here we go," Isamu grabbed his next card. "Sorry, but your luck ran out. I activate Hidden Armory, sending the top card of my deck to the graveyard to add an Equip Spell to my hand. I choose Mage Power and Equip my ben Kei to boost his attack!" (2000/2300) He grinned. "Go Ben Kei, triple attack." He watched the samurai grab and axe of his back and toss it at Cyber Dragon Zwei with enough speed and accuracy to slice through the machine and strike Ilya, counting as an attack on the monster and a direct attack.

**Ilya's Life Points: 0**

Boom! "Heheh, Ilya laughed. "Looks like a cliché ending after all. You win, hero-sama," she joked. Ilya's body began crumbling into dust, but she seemed genuinely happy as she vanished. Isamu watched her face transform into one of the most joyful smiled he'd ever seen. It was like she had been granted her heart's greatest desire.

**Author's Note: Sorry for having Isamu save Nayuta, I know it's been a while since she's done anything cool, but Isamu is supposed to be a good duelist, he needed to show off somehow.**

**Sorry if the duel was lame......  
**


	39. Memories of Long Ago: Vic Viper

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Wal Mart**

**I wish I did...Haruhi I'd be rich**

**Oh I don't own Haruhi either**

**or Gradius  
**

**

* * *

****~xXxXxXx~**

**

* * *

  
**

Isamu slumped forward, exhausted by the whole ordeal.

"That'll teach her for dissing Gradius Decks," Ross said with a glare.

"I'm sure he's happy to hear you defending his playing style that much," Isamu said with a sigh.

Ross quickly moved toward Naota and Nayuta, intending to free them from their prison.

**

* * *

**

**_It was only a few years ago that I first met him. He was a year younger than me._**

_

* * *

  
_

Thirteen-year-old Ross looked over the packs resting behind the glass counter. "I'll take," he looked back and forth between two packs. He indecisively shifted his gaze in and endless cycle. His reflection stared back at him, a young boy with curly black hair and a thin mustache.

He could only afford one pack, and they both looked good. His dragon deck could really use a boost from the dragons released in Zenith of the Dragon Apocalypse. On the other hand, some of the spells in Restoration of Arcane Lore would be able to offer his deck a great power boost in various situations. Crystal Thunder could destroy an opponent's monster and special summon a new ally to your side simply by getting rid of a Continuous Spell you controlled.

"You should get Dragon Apocalypse," said a voice behind him. "I saw your duel with your friend Isamu. You could really take advantage of Final Dragon's effect. Your style relies a lot on offense, and pushes people into defense a lot. He was able to barely hold on long enough to summon Ben Kei and crush you with Unstable Evolution. Final Dragon inflicts damage whenever your opponent ends a turn with monsters in defense mode but none in attack mode. It would have withered his Life Points away slowly, allowing you to win the duel before he drew his trump cards. Either that or he'd have forced himself to summon monsters in attack mode, which would have been just as bad for him."

Being reminded of his humiliating defeat at the hands of his friend was not doing Ross' composure any good. The pubescent boy growled angrily. "Who asked your opinion?" he demanded. He noticed a small boy with blonde hair staring at him. The boy was wearing a black shirt with khaki shorts. A black backpack rested on his back.

The boy whimpered. "S-sorry. I ju-I just thought we could be friends. I'm new here and I thought we could be friends. My name is Cristian."

"Look, Cristian, get lost. I'm not in the mood to talk to you." He turned to the store clerk. She was a beautiful woman with long shiny black hair and large breasts. Ross' eyes hovered at cleavage level. "I'll take that one please." He pointed to Restoration of Arcane Lore. He handed over some cash, blushing as his hand rubbed against the cashier's.

"Here you go," she said in a sweet voice as she handed the cards over.

Ross quickly tore it open, only to frown at his lackluster luck. He didn't get any of the cards he had been hoping for. "Damn, I really wanted a Crystal Thunder or Insane Beat." he sighed as he slid the cards into his shorts pocket and walked toward the door. The bell above the entrance jingled as he walked out.

Cristian quickly pulled his wallet out of his pants and put some money on the table. "Can I get three Zenith of the Dragon apocalypses and two Restoration of Arcane Lores, please?" His eyes seemed to whimper pleadingly, as if begging fate itself for good cards.

"Sure thing sweety." Ka-ching! The cash register opened as she gathered his change. She stuck it in a small plastic bag along with the five card packs. "Come again."

"Thank you!" Cristian said energetically as he dashed out the card shop. "Ross, wait!" he called out.

The older boy froze in his tracks. "What!?" He asked angrily.

"Here, I got you these." He handed over the five card packs. Ross only rolled his eyes. "And-and, I want you to have these as well." Cristian unzipped his back pack and pulled out a white binder full of cards. "Where are they," he flipped through several pages filled with rare cards. _Shining Hero Flare Wingman, Brionac- Dragon of the Ice Barrier, Dark Armed Dragon, Dark Strike Fighter_, _Red Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon_ and others. "Here you go!" He pulled out a Crystal thunder and an Insane Beat and handed them over without a second thought.

"Look," Ross said with a growl. "I don't want your charity. I can get cards myself." he pushed the card packs and the Spell Cards away.

"O-okay. Sorry for bugging you." Cristian turned away dejectedly.

* * *

**_I had such a huge crush on his older sister, but she didn't really like me. I can't say I blame her. I was a total ass back then, and a pervert too. She transferred into my math class and blew us away with her brains and her beauty.  
_**

* * *

It was recess at an American school somewhere in the Unites States. Children ran about, laughing and giggling. A girl with blonde hair stood over a young boy with curly black hair. "Ross, try that again and I'm aiming for your nuts with the next kick, got it?" She frowned down at the young boy holding his shin in pain. Ross smiled as his eyes traced her long slender legs. From that angle he got a perfect view of her silk white panties. "!" She followed the path of the boy's eyes. "Pervert!" She screamed, bringing her foot down toward Ross's groin.

"Shania!" A young boy pleaded.

The girl's foot froze in midair. "Consider yourself lucky."

Ross looked up at his savior, a young boy with short blonde hair. He wore a long sleeve red shirt and plain jeans. "It's you," he moaned with a sigh. "What are you doing here Cristian?"

"I-I was just here to visit my sister," he explained shyly. "Sorry to bother you Ross." Ross shot an angry glare at the boy, who quickly ducked behind his older sister, holding her purple sleeve desperately, like a child hugging his Teddy Bear.

"My brother just saved your balls!" Shania reminded him. "You should be grateful!"

From across the playground, Isamu came running to the scene. "Has my friend been bothering you?" He asked with a bow. "I'm sorry."

Another boy his age caught up with him. he had short black hair and wore fancy clothing, a white collared shirt with a red tie and beige slacks. "Ross, you aren't harassing another girl are you?" he asked.

"Don't worry Yuki," Ross said as he reached his feet.

* * *

**_We kept bumping into each other, and he was always so nice to me, but I was such an ass._**

**_

* * *

  
_**

"Oh, you're here."Ross sighed. "Are you stalking me? You don't seem to be the type to get into sports." He and Cristian were in a sports store. Ross was buying a new athletic cup after an accident during last night's baseball practice left his old one shattered. It was a very painful experience that he wished he could other boys on the team had teased him to death about it and he was not looking forward to their taunts in the dugout during tonight's game.

"Ummm, well, you see," Cristian tried to work up his courage. "I was talking to Yuki and he said he'd teach me how to play baseball if I wanted. I'm not very good at sports. Every time I try I can't hit the ball. So he said I needed to buy some shoes and other stuff. Do you know where the helmets are?"

"Ask someone who works here, don't bug me." Ross began walking toward the cash register.

"Why do you hate me?" Cristian whispered. Ross callously pretended not to hear.

* * *

_**Our meetings usually went something like that.**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

"Why are you bothering to help this kid? he's hopeless!" Ross threw his hands up in the air.

"He's a nice kid," Yuki answered.

Cristian swung the bat at the ball, but he missed completely. The ball rattled against the wall of the batting cage. "Remember Cristian, don't close your eyes. i know it can be kind of scary, but you really need to pay attention."

"God you are such a coward. What kind of boy can't even hit a baseball? What's so scary about it anyway? Didn't your dad every teach you how to play?"

"My dad died when I was two." Cristian explained cheerfully. He swung again. _**Ding!**_ The aluminum bat connected with the baseball, sending it flying backward. "Oh cool, I did it!"

"Congratulations, you hit a single ball, that wasn't even that fast, you must be so skilled." Ross said emotionlessly.

Yuki scowled at his friend. "Like you were any good when you first started out. I remember you kept striking out and you cried like a girl when the other kids teased you."

Ross returned the scowl.

* * *

_**I tried to avoid him as much as possible, and instead tried to make friends with his sister. She never quite forgave me for making him cry.**_

_**

* * *

**_Ross sat at a table in a restaurant with his mom and dad. He was dressed in his baseball uniform, black with pin striped baseball pants. He removed his baseball cap and let it rest at his side. He was feeling hungry, and he could smelt the food all around him. The scent of sizzling bacon filled the air, mixed with the sweet aroma of a mud pie flavored milk shake, and the even the syrupy scent of a waffle that someone had ordered for a late night snack. Some of the families around him were talking about that night's game, and Ross smiled proudly, knowing that he had helped the team win. Sure the victory hadn't solely been his responsibility, but he had done a lot to help.

"I'm really proud of you, son," his dad said, beaming a bright smile at him. He had black hair in a buzz cut, a thick rugged beard, and wore a business suit with a tie and dress pants. Earlier that day, he had been at a big business meeting for the company he had worked for, but he managed to get out of it in time for his son's game, just like always. "I wish I was that good when I was your age. I would've made my old man proud." Ross could barely remember his grandfather, but the few times they had met were not pleasant experiences. He was always critiquing everything and everyone, and Ross failed to meet his standards.

"Thanks dad," Ross smiled as he put his hands on the back of his head. "Yuki was so jealous when I managed to his that guy's curveball." He laughed, remembering the look on his friend's face when the pitcher had struck him out.

His mother smiled as well. She was a gorgeous woman with long blonde hair. She wore a red strapless dress that seemed to be attracting attention from a bunch of males in the restaurant. "So, have you been thinking about what High School you want to go to? Forrester High School has a great baseball team, but their football teams are a little lackluster." She drank from her glass of Diet Cola. Ross allowed himself to think as he listened to her ice pinging against the side of the glass. He loved baseball and was pretty good at it, but he also loved football, even if his skills there weren't the best. "On the other hand, Dietrich High School has a great football and baseball team, so you might want to consider going there. It's a bit further away, but it'll be worth it if you wish to go."

"Of course," his dad began, "dueling is a big part of the world and you seem to be doing pretty well in your dueling. While they don't accept students until the tenth grade, Duel Academia has seen a meteoric rise in the number of American transfer students in the last few years. If you'd like, we could enroll you in a special school so you can spend the ninth grade preparing to transfer into Duel Academia. Austin Lawrence Duel School is a a special one year High School that consists of the ninth grade only. It's a private school that helps students learn Japanese and prepare to be competitive duelists in Japan."

Ross mulled it over. He loved dueling and going to Duel Academia would be great for his Dueling skills, but they weren't exactly known for their sports team. They had a baseball club, but the members only ever played against each other. They didn't even have a football team, and he fully doubted there'd be enough interest in the sport to find other students to play full bl won tackle football. Touch or flag maybe, but not tackle. _'On the other hand,' _he thought, _'Asian chicks are hot.'_

_"_I'm not really sure," he admitted. "They all seem like great schools, it's hard to decide."

"That's okay, take your time," his mother said. "It's an important decision to make."

The restaurant door opened, and a waitress quickly moved to usher the new family into a seat. Ross immediately recognized the two children. Cristian was wearing a purple shirt and black cotton shorts. On closer examination, Ross realized their was a silhouette of a wilting rose on Cristian's shirt. He didn't focus on the boy for too long, his eyes instead moved on to the boy's sister. She was wearing a red sweater and a short black skirt. her hair was up in a super cute ponytail. Ross' male hormones kicked into overdrive. Their mom however, was even hotter. She was a sight to behold. She had to be in her mid-thirties at the oldest. She wore a beautiful black dress that fell to her knees, revealing long beautiful legs.

The waitress led the trio to the table right next to Ross'. Cristian offered an awkward smile. "Oh, hello Ross. Um, uh hi! Th, uh, great game today, you were amazing."

"You need to stop grabbing your balls so much,"Shania scoffed. The adults laughed.

"I was adjusting my cup," Ross explained. He felt a little embarrassed at the accusation.

"Whatever."

"Now, Shania, be nice." Shania's mother scolded.

Shania contemplated the idea of delivering a groin attack, but decided against it. It would probably just end fruitlessly and get her in trouble. She shut up and grabbed a menu. "I hope they have good drinks here," she said as she flipped through the pages.

Cristian looked at Ross pleadingly, hoping for an exchange of dialogue. Ross sighed and figured it was best to talk to the boy before the adults intervened. "Yuki says you're getting better. Thinking of joining a team next year or anytime soon?"

"No, I don't think I'll ever be good enough," he admitted. "I just hope that one day I'll be able to play with some friends. Do, do you think maybe I could play with you some day?"

"Maybe," Ross responded. "But my friends and I can be a little rough so you better wear a cup," he joked. "But I suppose you could join us every now and then. Yuki seems to like you. Just don't hold us back okay."

Cristian nodded. "I will do my best."

Cristian's mother stirred up a conversation with Ross' parents. They were talking about their children. Shania joined in, leaving the two boys to their own conversation.

"So, what other hobbies do you enjoy, besides baseball and dueling?" Cristian asked.

"I like football," he admitted. He wasn't really into the conversation. "I'm not as good at it as baseball though. But I do pretty well. I'm on the school's team."

"Oh cool, what position do you play?"

"I'm the Runningback. Basically I'm in charge of running with the ball, just as the name implies. What about you?" Ross asked, uninterested. "What are your hobbies?"

"We- well," Cristian gazed downward, unsure of himself. He wasn't sure how Ross would react to what he was about to say. "I like the theatre. I want to be a famous Broadway actor when I grow up. Or get into ballet. Either of those sound fun. I was in a ballet group before we moved." he offered a weak and insecure smile, fearing the teasing that would come.

"Sounds fun," Ross admitted, finally impressed with the boy. "Most guys would get teased to death for admitting to stuff like that, it takes balls to admit it." he grinned. "So, ballet huh? Some guys think that's really gay but honestly I think it's pretty cool. I mean, you get to hang out with all those girls all day long, and most of them seem pretty cute."

"Pretty gay huh?" Cristian chuckled nervously. He was glad his sister was distracted. Knowing her, she'd call Ross out on his homophobic remark, and she wouldn't care what kind of trouble she got into.

Ross barely registered the discomfort in the boy's voice and decided to venture forth. "So, were there any cute girls in ballet?" He asked.

"..." Cristian was silent.'_I really should tell him. I mean, he's going to find out eventually, right? And...and, if he can't accept that about me... No, I should at least try to get him to see me as a friend first. It's easier to accept something like that about a friend, right?' _Cristian tried to tell himself that it'd be okay, but he couldn't shake the worry. Ross already hated him, and the last time he'd told a friend, that friend had almost stopped talking to him. "Yeah, there was this girl named Melissa. She was really cute."

"Oh," Ross' abilities of perception were pretty bad, but he caught on to the forced tone of Cristian's voice. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were,"

"Gay?" Cristian frowned. "Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you. You already seemed to hate me and I wasn't sure how you'd react."

"I-I'm sorry Cristian. I should have been more sensitive." For some reason Ross felt really guilty, he couldn't quite figure out why.

"Ross, it's not big deal," Cristian lied.

"It is!" Ross insisted. "You, you like me don't you." It wasn't a question. Cristian didn't have the strength to answer so he only nodded. Despite everything he felt about Cristian up to that point, Ross was now overwhelmed with guilty feelings. His conscious was screaming at him. "I'm sorry, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to feel so different, and not know who to trust. And, well, I've been acting like a dick to you, that must have hurt."

"I-it's okay. I'm used to it. people generally don't like me."

"No, don't say that," Ross pleaded."I-I was having a bad day and I had no right to take it out on you. Look, let me make it up to you. Tomorrow I'll help you with your batting practice."

"T-that would be nice."

* * *

_**Yeah, not even I understand my own thought process. But I can't change how I felt. I suddenly realized how much I had hurt him and I wanted to take it all back.**_

_**We became friends after that, we weren't super close or anything, but we hung out. It was nice having a new friend, especially since Isamu ended up moving away when his dad got a new job in another city.  
**_

* * *

Three days had passed since the meeting at the restaurant. Ross and Cristian were meeting at the mall. They had ordered ice cream. Ross got two scoops of peppermint in a choclate covered waffle cone and bought a scoop of strawberry ice cream for his friend. Cristian was happily licking his dessert while trying to think of something to say. "So, where's Yuki? He didn't want to meet us today?"

"He's on a date with his girlfriend Milly," Ross explained as he bit into his cone. "They were going to go watch a movie. Credence of the Duel or something."

"I never heard of it, what's it about?"

The duo walked through the mall, trying to figure out where to go once they finished their ice cream. "It's about these two childhood friends who grew up together as duelists. They end up growing apart and they miss each other a lot. She ends up becoming a Pro Duelist while he ends up becoming a lawyer. One day a client hires him to defend her in a case where she's been accused of murdering a Pro Duelist who happens to be his friend's boyfriend. He ends up investigating the case himself and there are duels, or something. I don't really get it. It sounds like it can't make up it's mind about wether it wants to be a comedy or a chick flick."

"Sounds kind of cute," Cristian admitted. "Hey, we should duel sometime. I'm not very good but I'd love a chance to play with you."

"You can't be as bad a duelist as you are a baseball player," Ross teased. He playfully ruffled Cristian's hair, causing the boy to smile affectionately. "I'm sure you're a better duelist than you give yourself credit for."

"Ross," Cristian moaned.

"Something wrong?"

"Don't be so nice. Having a crush on you is hard enough....don't make me fall in love."

* * *

_**We kept it up for a few days, and his sister started warming up to me. Not enough to say yes when I asked her on a date, but it was a start. She did inform me that I'd be in a world of pain if I ever hurt Cristian though. But it didn't matter. I had no intention to. He was my friend.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Ross and Cristian sat at a table in the fast food restaurant Moink. The younger of the two males happily snacked on a small supply of chicken nuggets while sipping fruit punch and occasional taking a spoonful of strawberry shake to enjoy. He picked up a nugget and dipped it in the sweet smelling barbecue sauce. He smiled cheerfully as he chewed on the poultry. Ross, on the other hand, was preparing to feast on a Bacon Double Moinker, a delicious sandwich that consisted of two quarter pound patties of beef covered in four slices of cheese (two American and two cheddar) and topped with five slices of bacon, grilled onions, and a a healthy layer of ketchup and mustard all resting between two sesame seed buns. He removed the top bun and lined up a handful of french fries on his burger before replacing the bread and quickly devouring his lunch. Cristian suppressed the urge to laugh at his crush's display of carnivorous hunger.

"So," Cristian began after swallowing his food, "have you heard about the card creation contest? I2 is inviting people to send in effect ideas for cards or entire archetypes. Winning ideas will be made into cards with copies sent to their creators."

"Oh, they're doing that again? They do it every so often. I've always entered but never won."

"They've done it before?" Cristian asked. "Huh, I never knew. I'm designing cards based on dance and theater and stuff like that. I've already got Hayaku Waltz down. When you play him you and your opponent both get to Special Summon monsters. I also want to make cards based on Romeo and Juliet and other famous plays."

"Sounds like an interesting idea.

* * *

_**Cristian's designs were among the many winners of the contest. He ended up giving his cards to me. They weren't enough to make an entire deck on their own, but I did use them as a key part of my strategy. **_

* * *

Ross and Yuki were walking down the street, chatting about their respective were wearing their Duel Disks on their arms. They were heading to a small tournament at the local Wal Mart. Yuki, decked out in the same formal shirt, tie, and pants he usually wore, didn't seem at all sad that he and Milly had broken up. He already had his sights on Tina, a girl from his math class. And she seemed to like him too. "We have a date this Saturday." Yuki explained. "I'm taking her to the new amusement park that just opened up last week. I've been wanting to go but haven't had the chance. I hope it's fun."

Ross was wearing a black tank top and camo shorts. A pair of sunglasses rested on his head. "So, you think this relationship will last longer than with Milly?' Ross teased.

"Yeah, I hope so. Milly was just a crush, but I think I'm in love with Tina. She's really sweet, and smart, and funny, and she's cute too."

"That's what you said about Milly," Ross reminded him. It was a typical conversation, proceeding in a typical fashion, no surprises of any sort. Yuki talked about how nervous he was when he asked Tina out, Ross talked about how he believed he was making progress with Shania, Cars sped past them as they walked along the sidewalk, oblivious to the outside world. "So, you kiss her yet~ oomph!" Ross fell to the ground and landed on his rear.

"Hey, watch where you're going?" Complained an older male.

Ross was about to object when he recognized the other pedestrian. He had spiky blond hair and a muscular body with a dragon tattoo on his left shoulder. He wore ripped jeans and no shirt over his bare chest. Seventeen-year-old Albert Flemings was infamous around the neighborhood for getting into fights. Rumors indicated that he once sent three fully grown men to the hospital when he got into a brawl with them. Ross quickly jumped to his feet and backed away slowly. With anyone else, he probably would have argued with them and possibly come to blows with them if it came to it. With Albert, he figured it was better safe than sorry.

"Sorry, my friend is a bit of an idiot," Yuki apologized to the man.

Albert grunted. Normally, he would have made a vaguely threatening gesture by loudly punching his fist into his palm, but today was different. "Looks like you two are duelists," he said grimly. His face betrayed no emotions, it was impossible to tell how he felt. It was like looking into a void of nothingness. "Normally, I'd beat this kid to a bloody pulp for bugging me." He said as he pointed at Ross. "But I'm in a good mood. I just got some new cards today." He activated his Duel Disk. "If you two can beat me in a triangle duel, I'll let him off the hook." He finally showed some emotion, a sick twisted sadistic smile. "But if you lose," he ended his threat vaguely.

In truth, Albert wasn't as violent as the rumors had claimed. But he liked his reputation. Sure he did get into fights every now and then, but nothing as extreme as what the grapevine indicated. He had never gotten into a fight with those three grown men, it was all a misunderstanding when he helped two drunken men find their car. (They weren't getting behind the wheel, they needed some cash for a cab.) One had slipped in a puddle of water and had to be hospitalized because of it. An ambulance had to be called and a teen in the vicinity had gotten the facts mixed up.

Albert drew his six cards and prepared to take the first turn. "I begin with Pot of Greed to draw two cards," he slipped the Spell away and grabbed two more cards from his deck. With seven cards in his hand, he had options. "I activate the Spell Card Trap Booster. By discarding a single card from my hand I can activate a trap from my hand. So I discard a monster to activate Call of the Haunted and bring that monster back. So come on out, Jinzo!" A creepy android rose from the graveyard. he had gray skin and wore silver armor that conformed tightly to his body. Black gloves covered his hands. Ross watched as electricity jumped between the monster's fingers, cackling wildly. (2400/1500) "I equip him with Amplifier!" A metal helmet with countless odd protrusions appeared and affixed itself to the creature's head. He let out a low moan as power surged through his body. His stats remained consistent, but his effect was changing.

_'Now we won't be able to use our Trap cards, but this guy will have his.' Y_uki gave a worried glance to his partner.

Albert reached for another card in his hand and presented it to the younger males. "Graceful Charity is next. I draw three cards and discard two." It was a well known move that anyone could recognize. The boys feared the possibilities of what could come next. Did he have another Monster revival card prepared? Their suspicions were confirmed almost immediately. "And I'll use Monster Reborn to bring back a familiar monster many of you might recognize. I summon Needle Burrower!" (1700/1700) Ross cringed at the sight of the large orangish red metallic scorpion. Its pincers snapped together with loud clangs. Sparks flew with each snap. Albert was right, the two boys did recognize it. The famous Pro Duelist Ashirogi Nizuma had used it in his duel with Yugi Muto and _nearly won!_

Ross remembered the look of pain on Yugi's face during that duel. He almost had to turn the television off. It was a horrifying stomach churning look of pain. Ross considered himself a tough boy, but even he had to admit he wanted to piss his pants._ "I set two cards and end my turn," _Albert announced. he set his cards on the Duel Disk, and two holograms appeared behind his monsters.

_'He hasn't got a single card in his hand, he's at a major disadvantage unless he gets something that lets him draw a bunch of cards,' _Ross reflected. _'With our pooled resources, Yuki and I can probably handle his monsters. Then, as long as we manage our resources carefully we'll be able to win. I just hope he doesn't spring something like Limiter Removal on us. Even if he does get rid of his monsters, we don't want to take that much damage early on._' Ross nervously reached for his next card, the rumors flooded his mind. A friend had once announced that his brother had lost a testicle in a fight with the guy. Ross did not want to suffer the same embarrassing fate.  
He grabbed his card and smiled. "Hah, take this. I activate Heavy Storm! This card destroys all your Spell and Trap Cards!" He was proud of himself. This meant that he'd be using a single card to get rid of five! A major advantage in this duel! "Thanks to Amplifier's effect, your Jinzo is getting short circuited!" he announced.

"I activate Imperial Order."

The four words made Ross and Yuki cringe. For only 700 Life Points a turn, Albert would be shutting down their spells. Even if he lost the ability to use Spells himself, it would far outweigh the disadvantage Ross and Yuki would be facing. With their Traps cut off as well, they'd have to rely only on monsters. Worse yet, if he wanted, Albert could destroy his Imperial order on any of his turns and then begin using Spells himself! _'_

_'Too bad Amplifier's effect can't be negated,' _Yuki mused. _'Or else he'd be unable to use traps. Ross, please be smart, don't risk anything.'_

Ross looked at his hand. He had Lord of D. and Flute of Summoning Dragons! With those cards he could Special Summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon and Serpent Night Dragon in his hand! That is, if Imperial order hadn't been in play. I summon Spear Dragon!" (1900/0) The blue winged dragon appeared on the field and folded its wings. It aimed its long spear like nose Needle Burrower. Ross knew his monster would switch into defense after attacking, thus leaving it weak against attack, but he hoped Yuki would be able to do something about Jinzo, and maybe set a Trap to protect Spear Dragon._ 'I just wish there was a defense mode monster to use his piercing effect against.' _Ross pointed forward. "Attack," he commanded.

Spear Dragon flew forward, but Albert raised a defiant hand. "Metalmorph will aid my monster just enough to emerge the victor in this battle!" A gray metal liquid wrapped around the machine before solidifying, turning it from an orange color to silver. (2000/2000) It reached up with its left pincer and clamped down on Spear Dragon's nose, and quickly impaled it with its tail. The dragon let out a quick scream before shattering.

**Ross; 3900**

The boy knew what came next, 500 damage times the destroyed monster's level. Needle Burrower inched forward and launched its stinger at Ross. The solid vision was unusually painful, it felt like the monster's tail was actually piercing his body and injecting him with some sort of poison. His body felt like it was burning up. He lurched forward and let out a scream of pain.

"Dude, you scream like a girl," Albert teased.

**Ross: 1900**

Ross' Life Points were now at less than half and his field was empty. Even if he had a trap to protect himself with, he wouldn't be able to activate it unless Yuki could rid the field of Jinzo. "I set one card face down," he announced as he put the flute on the field, praying that he'd be able to use it as a bluff.

Yuki took his cue to draw. His hand was full of Spells and Traps, all useless thanks to Albert's set up. "I summon Maiden in the Snow in defense mode." (200/1900) It wouldn't be able to use its effects without any Snow Counters, which were accumulated through the use of Spells, much like the Spell Counters that inspired them. A beautiful maiden with white skin and snow white hair appeared. She wore a light blue kimono that looked like the color of ice. "I- I end my turn." Yuki said sadly. Ross gulped, knowing his Life Points would soon be depleted. And, if Albert drew the right card, so would Yuki's.

"I pay 700 Life Points to keep my imperial order active."

**Albert: 7300**

He reached for his next card. "I summon Bowganian!" (1300/1000) The eye like monster that appeared sent chills down Yuki's spine. It trained its cross bow on Yuki's heart. The boy knew it was just a hologram, but it was making him shiver. "Go, Needle Burrower, attack his Maiden!" The scorpion rushed forward, receiving a small but meaningless boost from Metalmorph (2150/2000) It spat acid at the girl, melting her into a puddle of good. Yuki shivered as he heard his monster scream out in pain. The scorpion turned his attention to Yuki next, stinging him with its tail. Yuki's scream reached an octave higher than Ross'.

**Yuki: 2500**

"I think I'll keep you two suffering a bit longer. Bowganian, attack the guy with the mustache, Jinzo, attack the guy who looks like he's about to wet his pants. Bowganian fired an arrow at Ross. He managed to skillfully block it with his Duel Disk**, **but the attack still connected for all intents and purposes. Jinzo charged a large beam of concentrated electricity between his fingertips. He fired it at Yuki's unguarded body, causing the boy to scream in further pain.

**Ross: 600**

**Yuki: 100**

"I'm going to have so much fun messing you both up once this is all over." Albert threatened. "Your move," he signaled to Ross.

Ross drew a dud card. "I forfeit," he admitted.

"Me too," Yuki said as he looked at his next card. They slumped to their knees, praying that the damage wouldn't be enough to hospitalize them.

"You two are no fun," Albert sighed. "Get out of here."

* * *

_**It was a humiliating defeat. we didn't even get the chance to strike back.** **Albert had handed us our asses on a silver platter.**_

_**

* * *

**_

"That sounds bad," Cristian said. Ross had just relayed the story to him**.**

They were meeting at Moink again, it was Ross' favorite place to eat. Ross was eating a Bacon Double Moinker like always (Complete with french fries in the burger), but Cristian was eating a Sourdough Niwa Burger. It was a fried chicken sandwich with ranch dressing, two slices of swiss cheese, and three strips of bacon on a sourdough bun. Shania had joined them, and she was eating a Triple Moinker, chowing it down faster than Ross could eat his.

"Are you planning to have a rematch?" he inquired. It seemed the shonen thing to do.

_**"**_He's too good," Ross moaned. "I can't win." His head hit the table. "I can't beat him."

"Where are your balls?" Shania teased. Ross frowned at the comment. "Seriously, grow a pair! Practice and get better until you can take him on!"

Cristian looked at his sister pleadingly, as if to say, I really like him, please leave him the Hell alone. He cleared his throat. The sound he produced didn't sound nearly as he had intended. "My friend Ryan says that the key to winning an unwinnable duel is to thoroughly understand yourself and know your enemy as much as possible. It's common knowledge, but by getting into your opponent's head you can completely overwhelm them by pretending their moves and taking advantage of them." Cristian's usual kindness faded. "Tell me where to find him and I will crush him."

Shania offered a weak smile. "You scare me when you're like this Cristian."

Ross smiled. "Don't worry about it. He let me go so it's okay."

Cristian nodded. "I don't like the sound of this guy. He's mean. He's a bully. Tell me where to find him and I will crush him." He smiled like an alligator about to chomp down dinner.

* * *

_**I had never seen him duel before, I had no idea what to expect.**_

* * *

Cristian marched along the sidewalk humming a happy melody. Ross followed confidently, having placed all his trust in his friend's dueling skills. Three days had passed since Yuki and Ross suffered their humiliating defeats. The sun was shining extra hot that day so Ross wasn't wearing a shirt. Sweat rolled down his body, making him feel sticky and uncomfortable. Cristian didn't seem to be bothered at all by the heat. in fact, he was wearing a black long sleeve shirt with jeans. He smiled peacefully. You could hardly tell he was on a mission of vengeance.

Target acquired. They came across Albert flirting with some golden haired girl Ross recognized from school. She seemed fairly interested, but ultimately, she turned him down. "Oh it's you again," Albert scoffed. Noticing Cristian, he raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're new." Cristian took a moment to size him up. He was muscular enough to be a threat if things progressed to physical violence, but he was sure it wouldn't come to that.

"Looks like you got rejected," Cristian said bluntly. "Guess that's what you get for being such an asshole. By the way you should really put a shirt on, you aren't nearly as attractive as you think you are."

"Are you just here to trash talk or do you want something?" Albert asked. It was rhetorical, he already knew the answer.

"Time to cut to the chase, let's duel!" Cristian's Duel Disk sparked to life. It played a quick musical melody, Ross seemed to vaguely recall hearing it in the game Gradius, but he wasn't too sure. Two blue haves connected to form a surface for his playing cards. It automatically shuffled his deck, ruffling through them quickly and efficiently without causing any harm. It spat out five cards for his initial hand. Cristian gladly accepted the cards and fanned them out. "So, you want the opening move, or do I get it?"

Albert had already drawn six cards.

* * *

**Cristian: 4000 Albert: 4000**

* * *

"Since your friends seemed to hate these guys so much, I'll start off by playing Machine Overdrive. I can Special Summon 1 Level 6 or lower Machine from my hand, so come on out, Needle Burrower!" (1700/1700) "Next I normal summon Machine Factory Woker (o/o) and release him to use his Special Effect to Special Summon a Machine from my hand, so come on out Jinzo!" (2400/1500) A young man in a work uniform took center stage before vanishing in a beam of light. When the glow faded, Jinzo took his place, smiling as he prepared to disable any traps that came his way. "I set one card and end my turn." He3 shot Ross a smug grin.

"I activate Spiritualism," Cristian stated almost immediately. A nasty looking spirit appeared and carried Albert's card back to his hand. "And I'll follow up with card Destruction!" Both players lost their hands and gained entirely new ones. Ross smiled when he saw Cristian's shoulders loosen. The body language indicated something positive. "I summon Gradius!" (1200/800) The legendary Vic Viper of the Gradius game series appeared on Cristian's field. It flew high into the battle sky, waiting for a command. "I Special Summon Gradius' Option, who has the same stats as Gradius no matter what!" (1200/800) The boy smiled. "I equip my Gradius with Malevolent Nuzzler, giving it 700 extra attack points." (1900/800) the Duel Disk whirred erratically as both monsters' Attack Points climbed to the same number. "Now go, Gradius' Option, attack the Scorpion!' Graidus deployed a small red machine that circled around its target before firing a massive laser that blew Albert's Machine to pieces.

**Albert's Life Points: 3800**

"I set one card and end my turn," Cristian announced.

Albert drew. "I hope you realize that Jinzo won't let you use a Trap to save yourself, and once your Gradius is gone, so goes its Option, leaving you vulnerable to attack." He slipped a spell card into the appropriate slot. "I activate Premature Buriual, paying 800 Life Points to bring back my Scorpion!"

**Albert's Life Points: 3000**

"Next I normal summon Archfiend Mechanic in defense mode!" (1000/1000) A man with gray skin and countless boils appeared on the field. he carried a wrench in his hand and wore the standard attire of a mechanic. "While I control a Machine, he can't be attacked. In addition, all Machines get 500 extra points when he's around. So go my Needle Burrower, take on that Vic Viper!" Acid shot into the sky, melting the ship on contact. While Cristian was distracted by the self destruction of his other card, Needle Burrower shot forth and stung him with its tail. The pain was excruciating, but Cristian wouldn't say a word.

**Cristian's Life Points: 1700**

"Looks like it's all over," Albert announced. "Jinzo, end this duel now!" The deadly Android charged a beam of electricity and shot it at the helpless boy.

"Your risk taking skills intrigue me. You play's mechanic in defense, but now you attack when I have a facedown? Strange. I guess you don't fear it as much because only Spells can be activated, and not many of them are too bad, right? I activate Shrink, cutting your monster's attack in half!" Jinzo shrunk down to half his original size. (1200/1500)

**Cristian's Life Points: 500**

The young boy drew a card. **"**Listen, it's getting boring. Let me tell you where you messed up. That smug grin you gave my friend? That gave away the fact that you were feeling too cocky, even though one of your monsters wasn't that powerful. You need a better poker face. In addition, you had a substantial lead, but you went defensively. your mechanic should have been in attack mode. you'd have won. But alas, it's too late. You see, I figured out your strategy's biggest weakness. I asked around town. Everyone you dueled says you went through your deck quickly to get your impregnable combo out. Jinzo, Amplifier, and Imperial order all together are a big deal. From there you rely on offensive tactics. But once that threat is neutralized, you're dead meat. Sure, you probably have ways to reclaim missing cards, but I won't let you get to them. I activate Card of Sanctity, forcing us to both draw until we have six cards in out hand.**"**

Cristian gathered his new cards while his opponent refreshed his hand as well. I summon Victory ViperXX03!" (1200/1000) "And I equip it with United We Stand!" (2000/1000)** "**Now it gains 800 Attack per monster I control."

"Big deal, I know the drill. Too bad for you it doesn't have enough power to take on any of my monsters this turn, besides my Mechanic. And next turn, I'll just have Jinzo crush it."

"Next I activate Double Attack. By discarding a monster with a higher level, my Victory Viper can attack twice this turn."

"Too bad there's only one monster it can destroy! And did I forget to mention, you can't even attack it while I control a Machine."

"I activate Gradius Laser! I can choose any one of my Gradius ship themed monsters and use this spell on it. For this turn only, it can target any monster, ignoring any defensive abilities. Attack the Mechanic!"

On Cristian's command, Victory Viper XX03 fired a red laser that destroyed the Mechanic, returning both Machines to normal. Then, suddenly, it deployed a smaller mecha. "Now I can Special Summon an Option Token with the same stats as my Victory Viper XX03." Cristian explained.

"Oh shi-" the realization struck Albert like a full speed jet plane.

"Now both my monsters have 2800 attack. Go, Victory Viper XX03, destroy Jinzo!" With another red beam of destruction, the android was taken down. Ross smiled, impressed by his friend's move. Albert groaned at the decrease in Life Points. (**2600) **This action, in turn, summoned another Token, bringing the three monsters to 3600 attack each. "Go, my tokens, finish him off!" The first option utterly obliterated the Needle Burrower with a giant laser brought Albert down to 700 Life Points and left him wide open for a direct attack.

* * *

_**Yeah, he was awesome. We dueled a few times after that, but he always won. Eventually, he got some cards from I2, congratulating him on his card designs. He ended up giving those cards to me to help me make a new deck. We spent the next few months playing together, laughing together, sharing secrets, talking about life in general. Shania started to warm up to me as well. We never ended up going out, but I was okay with it. besides, there's something awkward about dating your best friend's sister anyway, isn't there? Sadly, he had to move away one day, I was sad to see him go. We kept in touch on the phone though...atleast...until the day.**_

* * *

"It's 3 in the morning, Shania," Ross complained as he answered his cellphone. "This better be to tell me that you suddenly realized you loved me and you can't live without me."

Ross frowned when he heasrd sobbing on the other end. "Hey, Shania, what's wrong? is everything okay?"

"It's Cristian, he's..he's dead..."

* * *

_**I was so shocked...I couldn't believe it. Just like that. In the snap of a finger he was gone. It was so unceremonious that it felt unreal, like a nightmare.**_

_**

* * *

**_Ross grabbed a rock and jumped towards Nayuta and Naota's cage, landing on the outer edge. "What's holding this up anyway? It's just floating in midair_. _Well, I guess when there's magic involved, weird things will happen." He quickly busted the lock open and let the caged duo out. "You guys think you can make the jump?"

Nayuta answered with her actions, jumping to the cliff with little effort. Naota, on the other hand, gave Ross a nervous look.

"Don't worry, it's okay." He bent over. "Climb onto my back."


	40. JudgmentofEmi:LawofNature vs LawofMan

**Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh GX**

**Author's Note: If all goes as planned, this chapter will be shorter than the last two**

* * *

Naota, Ross, Isamu, and Nayuta were all walking through a long hallway. They had wandered in a straight line until they found a cave, and within that cave was a long hallway with torches lining the walls. "You guys don't seem at all bugged by the whole magic issue," Naota noted. "I take it you guys have come across something magical before?"

Isamu nodded. "Ever meet a duel spirit? Those things are real, and they tend to tell you a lot about the world."

"You've met an actual Duel Spirit?" Nayuta asked excitedly. Her interest was piqued.

"Yeah, it was a long time ago," Isamu explained. "A friend of ours had died so Ross and I were attending his funeral, and one of the girls there had a Duel Spirit. He was a bit talkative, and explained a lot to us."

Isamu entered a narrative.

* * *

**_It wasn't very crowded. He didn't have many family members in the area, apparently his mother had cut off all ties with her family. Religious differences or something. And his dad died when he was young, so she had fallen out of touch with his side of the family. Ross and I were pretty uncomfortable, we had never been to a friend's funeral before, just some for a few family members we barely knew. We weren't sure how to act. We wanted to cry, but we were guys, we weren't sure it was okay._**

**_But once we got to the casket, Ross broke down and fell to his knees. He was so sad. Apparently they were a lot closer than I originally realized. That's when she showed up._**

* * *

Isamu and Ross were dressed in their best formal wear. Ross had even shaved for the occasion, wanting to look his best for his best friend's funeral. But his face was a mess at the moment. Tears streamed down his cheeks in complete defiance of his normal personality. He wiped his runny nose on his sleeve, not caring if his parents were going to be upset. "I, we're just kids," Ross whispered. "We're not old enough to die. it doesn't make any sense. Besides, people don't just die like that. They, they're not supposed to."

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "He loved you, you know? Don't cry. He'd be sad to know he upset you."

Ross looked up to see a girl his age standing over him. She had short blue hair that curved around her head and gave her a peaceful look. "My name is Kotone," She said. "I was a friend of his at school. He talked about you a lot Ross."

Ross stopped crying. Under normal circumstances, he'd immediately develop a huge crush on this beautiful girl, but sadness became the predominant emotion in his heart. Not even he could push away everything his friend meant to him in an effort to shove his tongue down someone's throat. "I'm going to get some fresh air," she said as she walked toward the exit. "Care to follow?"

Ross and Isamu followed, figuring it might be an interesting way to learn about their friends last days.

. . .

"Do you believe in Duel Spirits?" Kotone asked.

"Those things are just fairy tales," Ross told her. "Stories for little children."

"Yeah, every one knows that." Isamu added on.

Kotone shook her head in disappointment. "What if I told you that Cristian had one? And that now I'm holding on to it?"

"Prove it," Ross demanded. Nobody would believe such a claim without evidence, but Ross felt a little compelled to trust her. For some reason he couldn't help but trust her a little, yet, still, he needed proof.

Kotone held up a card that immediately lit up. A translucent being emerged, and smiled at the boys. It had orange fur with ears and a tail like a cat, but it had small wings affixed to its back, like a dragon. "Hello," it said, "My name is Nekoryu," it purred lightly.

"It's just a hologram," Ross insisted, backing up a little.

"Yeah," Isamu agreed.

"No I'm not," Nekoryu pouted.

Kotone sighed. "I assure you Nekoryu is very real." her face met her palm with a powerful sounding slap. "Seriously, why do some people refuse to believe what's right in front of them."

"I'm sorry, it's just a little hard to accept." Ross told her.

"Listen up, 'cause what I'm about to tell you is very important." Nekoryu said. "Cristian was selected with a very important task. He was selected to be trained as a Duelist to combat a group of evil duelists."

"Like some sort of crappy shonen manga?" Isamu asked. "Why pick a kid? Why not a Pro? Why not turn to Yugi?"

Nekoryu shook its head. "Listen, I picked him because I had no other choice. I was being chased by an evil spirit, and he was the only one around to help me. From that day on we became partners and I trained him in the art of dueling, hoping one day he'd be able to help avert a coming tragedy."

"Coming tragedy?" Isamu asked, worried.

Ross was getting mad. _'Who puts that kind of responsibility on a kid?'_

Nekoryu continued. "It's best you not know much unless we need to tell you. I'm only telling you this because Kotone asked."

Kotone took over the story. "Cristian was killed dueling against one of his enemies. Nekoryu came to me, and now I'm taking over Cristian's role. But, if something happens to me, Ross, will you take over."

Ross stood up and gathered his courage. "If you're that worried, hand Nekoryu over. I'll take over from here on out." He gripped his fists at his side. _'So, Cristian was killed fighting against some sort of supernatural force?'_

By all accounts, information like this should have devastated Ross, but he didn't care. Anger held him together. He was pissed. Someone had killed his friend and he wanted vengeance.

"That won't be necessary as long as I'm alive." Kotone said. "I'll do my best, i just need to know that someone else is ready in case I fall."

* * *

_**That was our first encounter with the supernatural. For some reason, I can't shake the feeling that the two events are related.**_

* * *

Emi smirked at her opponent. She had wandered through an unending field of flowers, searching for a way out before finally coming across him. he had a large body and wore a black judge's robes. He wore a colonial wig on his head. "So, if you're waiting for me I suppose you're the boss and I need to beat you to advance?" She quickly activated her Duel Disk and drew five cards.

"My my, you're an impatient one," the judge activated his disk. It was a large and black disk with a silver edge. Something about it seemed professional and powerful. "Don't you even want to ask me who i am or what we're up to?"

Emi smirked. "I have the greatest feeling within my heart that such an act would be pointless. your type are usually not the kind to give straight answers when questioned. Any information you divulge would also be too dubious to put my faith in." Her speech pattern slipped into something slightly more unnatural. "So I suggest we forgo the pointless formalities of good and evil and proceed with the duel. In the end justice will prevail, for that is the natural order of the world."

"At least ask my name," the judge's voice thundered through the empty field. "I am Charles von Magnolia. I am the judge of the servants and I have arrived to punish the wicked for their deeds."

Emi drew a sixth card, not allowing Charles the option of going first. "I am sure you have your own twisted sense of justice, but it deviates from what society dictates is proper and correct. As a result, the world's nature itself will view your ideals as flawed and reject them. reality will not accommodate your goals."

"Without even taking the time to understand our goals you deem them as irrelevant and wicked. People like you are the reason Earth is frozen in a stasis, unable to accept change for the better." Charles looked through his hand of five cards, immediately forming a plan for the possibilities at hand.

Emi selected her first monster and put it into play. "I summon Angel's Courage in attack mode." (400/0) a small tiny angel in white robes materialized. "I set a card face down and end my turn."

"That weakling will soon fall pray to my almighty deck. I charge you with reckless endangerment. Such a tiny card should not be left in such a vulnerable position." Charles drew another card. "I summon Edger Baton." A young man in a blue police uniform appeared. He twirled a metal rod in his left hand. (1000/0) "Concealed weapons are a major violation of his rules. Once per turn I can select a face down spell or trap you control. If it is a trap it is destroyed and my monster gains attack until the end phase. I pick your only face down."

Emi clicked her tongue in annoyance as her Magic Cylinder was blown to bits. Edger's attack climbed by 700. (1700/0) "Attack that angel," Edger threw his baton forward. It crushed the angel and boomeranged back to his hand.

**Emi: 2700**

"You underestimated me if you thought I was ill-equipped to face a face down," Charles admonished. "My deck is prepared to thoroughly dismantle yours. I set three cards face down and end my turn." Even as Edger's attack returned to normal, Emi knew she'd have to be careful. The three face down cards could be anything, and they could devastate her if she was reckless.

"By removing from play the Angel's Courage in my graveyard I am able to normal summon a level 5 or higher fairy without a release, so come on out, Chronocide Angel." (0/0) The familiar angel appeared on Emi's field, ready to battle. "I discard two spells to raise her attack by 2000 until the endphase." (2000/0) "And now she can destroy your monster, attack Edger."

"Discarding cards to the graveyard is very popular in the meta," Charles assessed. "Most focus on discarding monsters and taking advantage of them from the graveyard, so I included this in my deck. the situation is entirely different, but the outcome is indistinguishable from my original intent. I activate Magical thorn, inflicting 500 points of damage per card you discard."

Thorns spread across the flowery field and snaked their way up Emi's legs, piercing her flesh.

**Emi: 1700**

"Next, I activate Empowerment of the Weak. When a monster I control is targeted by a monster with twice its attack or more, my monster's attack is doubled!' (2000/0) Chronocide Angel continued its suicidal move, charging in toward Baton. The two monster's raised their weapons and struck simultaneously. Edger dealt a devastating blow to the angel's skull, only to be cleaved in half. "Now I activate my final trap, Judge's Anger! When a level 4 or lower monster I control is destroyed, I can Special Summon a Judge Man from my deck." (2200/1500) The bearded warrior materialized and raised its club, striking it against the ground. Emi knew she would have to tread carefully from this point forward.

"I set my final two cards," she announced.

Charles drew. "I release Judge Man to Special Summon Holy Judge Man from my hand!" (2700/1000) "And I activate his Special effect, by paying 1000 Life Points I can destroy every card on the field!"

Judge Man's attire had changed, his clothes were now pure white versions of a judge's usual robes. he raised his club and pounded it like a gavel. Holy light rained down from the heavens, destroying every card in sight beside himself.

"Not so fast, I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device, returning the judge to your hand!" Emi sighed in relief as the threat level shrank a few notches. But she was still in a severely bad situation.

Charles laughed as he played his next card. " I summon Beautiful Headhuntress," he said as the beautiful woman appeared. Her blue hair flowed in the wind as she raised her sharp blade into the sun. light danced around it, as if the sun's rays were being sliced into ribbons. (1600/800) "Attack her directly!" The warrior dashed forward and sliced at Emi's unguarded body.

**Emi: 100**

Emi assessed the situation. She had no cards in her hand, none on her field, and Charles had two cards in his hand. One was Holy Judge Man...a major threat that rivaled Judgment Dragon. Who knew what the other one was. "I hate having to pray for top decking miracles."

**To Be Continued**


	41. Blue Eyes Silver Dragon

**Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh GX**

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* * *

**

Charles chuckled at his good fortune. The duel had gone in his favor so far. The only Life Points he had lost were payment to facilitate the arrival of his favorite monster. Emi, on the other hand, was down to her final 100 Life Points and didn't have much of a chance at all. her hand was drained, and unless she had some Infernity Monsters hidden away it was quite unlikely that she would be able to turn the duel around. Even if she managed to draw Card of Sanctity it seemed unlikely that she'd be able to turn the duel around so quickly. Besides, he had a few more tricks resting up his sleeve as well.

Emi reached for her deck. Her hand felt like it was burning with passion. "Don't think you have this duel won. Every card in my deck possesses the potential to alter the tide of the duel. No matter what, justice will emerge victorious." She smirked as she drew. "I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards," she announced proudly. her deck had followed through for her. "I summon Fairy of Broken Flowers!" (900/400) A small child like apparition appeared on her field. She had short blond hair and wore a red dress. Four small pink wings grew from her back. "I equip her with Cestus of Dagla!" Two small cesti appeared in her hands. They were sharp and golden and glowed with power. "They raise her attack by 500!" (1300/400)

Charles grinned. "She's still no match for my Beautiful Headhuntress!" (1600/800) The beautiful warrior remained expressionless as she awaited new orders. "You should give up now."

Emi pointed forward. "Fairy, bypass his monster and attack directly!" She smiled as her fairy's wings began beating in a blur. They hummed as they achieved blinding speeds. She flew forward and slashed at Charles with her cesti. A glowing light surrounded both duelists as Charles' Life Points dropped and Emi's rose by an equal amount. "You see, when a monster equipped with the cesti inflicts damage, I gain an equal amount of Life Points!"

**Emi: 1400 Charles: 1700**

Emi smiled. She had dealt a significant blow and raised her own Life Points, shrinking the enormous gap between them to a mere 300 life Points. But she knew she couldn't relax. One direct attack would end it all. However, she did have one last trick up her sleeve to reveal to Charles. "When my fairy of Broken Flowers successfully attacks directly**, **I may choose one monster on the field and cut its attack in half!" An eerie glow surrounded the Beautiful Headhuntress as her stats withered. (800/800) "I end my turn."

Charles grunted as he drew. "Hahaha," he laughed. "The courts smile upon me today. They're ruling in my favor! I activate Premature Burial to bring back my Judge Man!" (2200/1500) "Consider yourself lucky that my life Points are currently too low for me to use Holy Judge Man's effect, so i won't bother bringing him out. Instead, i activate Polymerization to fuse Beautiful Headhuntress and Judge Man to bring out," he waited as his spell card absorbed the two monsters and spat out a new one. It was a beautiful woman with pale skin, a white haori, and the same blade that made Beautiful Headhuntress famous. Her hair and pupils were pure white, giving her a frightening look. (2600/1500)

"Holy Executioner-Empress Judge!"

Emi easily calculated the damage she would receive and groaned when she realized she'd be left with the exact same amount of Life Points, assuming the monster didn't have any effects to deal extra damage. She prayed that it didn't have any extra effects.

"Attack her fairy," the man commanded.

Empress Judge blurred as she moved, appearing behind the Fairy of Broken Flowers before she could blink. The fairy gasped in fear as the warrior raised her blade. Fairy kicked off the ground, propelling herself away from the attacker. Empress Judge's blade came down, sending a blue wave of energy slicing through the air. Fairy tried to escape, but didn't have time, the incoming attack was much took fast. She raised her palms before her, erecting a shield of light. It held off the attack for a few seconds before a crack appeared. Her shield splintered with a sickening crunching sound. The wave of light crashed through, pushing the helpless fairy backward, crashing into the ground.

Holy Executioner-Empress Judge jumped into the air and brought her sword plunging toward the ground. Fairy of the Broken Flowers panicked, knowing she had mere moments to escape. She rolled out of the way and clumsily rose to her feet. It was pointless, the executioner extracted her blade from the earth and performed a spinning slash, cutting through the young fairy. She burst into a shower of multi-colored flowers, irises, hibiscuses, roses, violets, camellias, and more. They hit thr ground and withered away.

**Emi: 100**

"My, my, isn't this a familiar situation?" Charles commented. "You can't escape the law, you can't evade justice." He laughed as his monster's attack zoomed upward with the familiar electronic whirring. **(3900/1500) **"Whenever she destroys a monster it is removed from play. Then her original attack becomes 2600 plus the attack of the monster she just destroyed."

_'So if I play a weak monster and let her destroy it, then her attack will go down?_' Emi shook her head at the notion. It was far too risky at this point. She needed to end this with a decisive blow. Playing defensively would get nowhere. "Watashi no turn! Draw!" She drew for the final time of the duel. "I activate the Spell Card Synchro magic! I can select 1 Tuner and 1 Non Tuner in my graveyard and remove them from play to Synchro Summon a Synchro monster. So the Level 3 Fairy of Broken Flowers and the Level 1 Angel's Courage." The two monsters appeared on the field for a split second before they began the synchro process. From a portal of spinning starlight emerged a small angel with black hair covering his left eye, five black wings, and a black gown. (700/500) "Meet Desuherald A.N.!" Emi smiled.

"A Level 4 synchro monster? His attack is weak, I hope for your sake his effect compensates for it."

The angel gathered a dark aura into his hand, forming a sharp scythe that glinted in the light. "His effect will end the duel," Emi assured Charles. "When he's destroyed in battle, I can remove from play a Fairy in my grave to negate the battle damage I would receive and inflict half of it to you while I regain the other half as Life Points." Desuherald A.N. didn't even wait for the command, he charged at the enemy monster, smiling as he was sliced down."

Holy Executioner-Empress Judge's attack points dropped as her owner's Life Points trickled down. (3200/1500)

**Emi: 2050**

**Charles: 0**

"Looks like you've defended yourself well, Child of the Ravens." he chuckled as he vanished into a thin wisp of smoke.

"Child of the....noone has called me that in years." Emi smiled grimly.

She didn't notice the man who appeared behind her.

* * *

Eirin looked around her and sighed. "Where is everyone?" She wondered. "Shouldn't some bad guy be waiting for me to duel them?" She wandered through the deep forest. Trees stood tall as their bare branches clawed the moonlit sky. The smell of fresh water caught her nose. She could hear a gurgling stream, along with the laughter of a young child.

"Teehee," giggled the androgynous voice. Eirin couldn't figure out if it was a girl or a boy. She kept her eyes peeled for the source of the noise, but she could barely see a thing in the darkness. "Over here," the voice called out from behind her. Eirin spun on her heels and focused her vision. She could make out the blurred shape of a child running through the trees, weaving left and right with no discernible pattern or path. Eirin gave chase, mimicking her prey's movements. "Come on, Eirin, I know you can do it. Come on, catch m~e if you ca~an!"

Eirin gritted her teeth and sped up as much as her body would allow. Her legs ached as she stretched her limits to push herself faster than she was used to. "I am not cut out for this."

"Don't you recognize me, Eirin?" The child asked.

They emerged from the forest and came into a clearing. Flowers speckled the field as the sun suddenly emerged from nowhere, shining light on everything. Eirin could finally make out the child's features. He looked like a male, though she wasn't certain. He had short blond hair and wore a simple white T-shirt and khaki shorts. "Come on slowpoke, hurry up. I won't wait forever." He giggled in a girlish manner and ran faster than before, speeding up so fast that Eirin felt herself falling behind.

Finally, the boy jumped off the ground and landed in front of another girl, a familiar looking face that Eirin recognized.

"Emi, it appears that you're here," Eirin stated.

Emi gave Eirin a blank stare. "Ei-chan," she said emotionlessly as she fell forward. Eirin caught the younger girl in her arms. Her eyes closed as Eirin shook her body.

"Emi, is something the matter? What's wrong?"

The boy laughed. "Sorry, but the Child of the Ravens wouldn't stop interfering with out plans, so we had to take her out." He activated his red duel disk. "I have an idea. Why don't you throw the duel so you can join her." he drew five cards.

"Look, Emi is one of my closest friends, give her back or I'll have to crush you." Eirin warned. her Duel Disk sprung to life, bringing the cute crayon scenery with it. She drew six cards, securing herself the first move. rather than playing a card, she used the time to continue her conversation. "I don't like hurting children."

"It's okay, don't worry about me. The world's hurt me enough. I'm used to it." He said with a bright smile. "Let's just duel. it'll be fun. None of my friends ever play with me. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lee."

**Eirin 4000**

**Lee 4000**

Eirin felt herself stumbling through her thoughts, unsure what to say. I summon Volcanic rat!" (500/500) A cute mouse appeared on her field. Hardened lava covered its fur in small patches. "Next I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Burden of the Mighty**, **and equip my rat with Amulet of Ambition." Eirin smiled. "I end my turn."

"Is that all? A weak monster like that? Since you control a monster and I don't, I am allowed to activate the Spell Card Emergency Emergence. I can normal summon a Level 5 or higher monster without a release, and all it takes is 500 Life Points."

**Lee: 3500**

Lee selected a card in his hand. "It has to be a normal monster, but that's okay, I bring out Blue Eyes White Dragon!" (3000/2500)

Eirin stuttered in surprise. "N-no way! Kaiba has the only three in the world! How'd you get one?" The legendary blue dragon appeared on the field and gave a mighty roar.

Lee smiled. "My little secret! Attack, Burst Stream!"

Eirin smiled. "Burden of the Mighty weakens all your monsters by 100 x their level. Amulet of Ambition gives my Volcanic Rat a boost equal to 500 x the level difference between our monsters."

Blue Eyes White Dragon heaved in pain as the magical artifact sucked away its energy. (2200/2500) Volcanic Rat smiled as his amulet gave him a boost of energy. (4000/500)  
he's a level 1 Monster, and yours is Level 8. 500 x 7 is 3500, bringing my monster up to 4000 attack! (4000/500) The rat smiled as he bit through the legendary dragon, taking down the creature of unlimited destruction.

"Sorry, Lee, but you messed up. G-Aim over." She snapped her fingers and pointed forward. "You're a million years to soon to face me."

"I Special Summon Blue Eyes Silver Dragon from my hand.(3000/2500) When a Blue Eyes White Dragon I control is destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon him to negate all damage. Then, he gains attack equal to one half that of the monster that destroyed him." A silver version of the Blue Eyes White Dragon appeared on his field, roaring loudly with power. (5000/2500) "Of course your Burden weakens him a bit." He smiled as his monster's attack dropped to 4000. "And since he's a level 9 monster, I can't even dream of attacking, or else your Rat will just jump up to 5000 attack points. That wouldn't be very good for me now would it?" Lee just smiled and reached for his next card.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Author's Note: Man, my old computer got a virus so I lost track of some of my card notes.....oh crap, i forgot all about the Aiko vs Morganna duel....soon......soon**

**Anyway, just working on some duels for now, maybe in a bit I will focus on the plot again....and get into the origins of these Servants a bit more  
**


	42. A Butterfly's Shadow

**Author's Note: Meh, I really have no idea how to work everything out, I have to many plot threads hanging. Oh well, one by one we'll get through them all.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own. Don't own Naruto either.  
**

* * *

Eirin waited for the boy to complete his move.

"I activate the spell card, Maho Bite. This card inflicts 1000 damage for each spell and trap you control, but it allows you to save yourself by sending as many of them as you want to the graveyard." His smile widened as he watched the girl scowl angrily.

"So, 2000 damage for me if I don't give up any card, huh?" Eirin slipped her Burden of the Mighty into the graveyard as a giant beam of black light shot on her from above. With a loud buzzing sound it quickly drained away 1000 or her Life Points. She grunted in pain and fell to one knee, but smirked once the attack was over. "I'm still alive."

**Eirin: 3000**

"Heh, I wasn't dumb enough to think that'd be enough to finish you off." The boy's dragon roared in triumph as its attack returned to 5000. "So, my monster is nine levels above yours, so it can't attack or else Amulet of Ambition gives your rat a 4500 point boost. Then it'd be a tie." he threw down one more card, leaving it concealed in his spell and trap zone. "Your move, Eirin."

Eirin's gaze wandered to her unconscious friend as she drew her next card. "Grrr, first, I'll use the Spell Card Polymerization Offerings. Everytime I Fusion Summon a monster, I gain 500 Life Points and get to draw 1 card. Then, I activate Polymerization. This fuses my Volcanic Rat with the Lunar Queen Elzaim in my hand to bring out my Lunarian Fire Rat." (1500/1000) A large flaming rat with bright red fur appeared on the field, letting out a fierce roar as fire cackled and spread across the field. "I know it seems like he loses a bit of offensive power without Amulet of Ambition, but he's in defense mode and can't be destroyed in battle. Next, his other effect activates. When Special Summoned, I can remove from play 1 card in my deck for each face up spell on the field."

Eirin tore a card out of her deck and slipped it away before shuffling it and returning it to the disk. She smiled as she drew her next card.

**Eirin: 3500**

"I activate the Spell Card Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards and,"

"I'm a duelist too, you know," Lee tapped his foot in frustration.

"The rules clearly state that I'm supposed to explain each card. I don't _care _if you know what it does." Eirin grabbed three cards and discarded two. "This card allows me to draw three cards and discard two."

"Well screw the rules, I have a schedule."

"Screw your schedule, I have integrity," Eirin threw her next two last two cards face down. "I'll set these and end my turn." The duel disk brought to life two holograms of face down cards, and the female duelist smirked. "Your move."

Lee grinned as he gained a card. "So, tell me, Eirin. If you and Ryou were both in trouble, which of you do you think Emi would save first?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Eirin began grinding her teeth as she waited for the boy to make his move.

"No, seriously, you or Ryou?" Lee smirked as he grabbed his next card. "I summon Virtual Blader in attack mode!" (1600/1300) A young warrior in purple armor appeared before Eirin, brandishing a long scimitar. He dug it into her side, causing her Life Points to trickle downward.

**Eirin: 1900**

"If you control any monsters that can't be destroyed in battle, my monster is allowed to attack you directly, so you might want to get rid of your rat soon." Lee smirked as he conceded his turn with a simple hand gesture.

"I draw one card and activate my face down card, Lunar Veil. Whenever I draw a Lunarian Monster I can reveal it to activate my Veil's effect and remove from play a card in my deck. And the card I drew is the spell card Lunarian Rift." She revealed it to her opponent before removing a card from her deck. "Next I activate Lunarian Rift's effect. I select two removed from play Lunarian Cards and send them to my graveyard to draw three cards!"The girl slipped her cards into her graveyard before reaching for three new cards. "And I drew another Lunarian Card, Lunarian Star Dancer, so I get to remove from play another card from my deck." She revealed the low level monster as well, stunning her foe.

"T-that card."

"What about it?" She asked.

"Subaru gave you that card didn't he?" Lee growled. "What are you doing using it?"

"What's wrong with a card he gave me?" Eirin didn't wait for an answer. "I activate Rainbow Prism Light! Now I can remove from play cards in my hand, field, or graveyard to Fusion Summon a Lunarian as long as it doesn't attack this turn. So I'm bringing out Lunarian Moon Angel. She can be created with La Moon and any Lunarian, so I'm using the Star Dancer in my hand." (2000/2200) A bright light surrounded the blonde girl draped in blue. "She gains 100 attack for each removed from play card, and I have three. Then I draw a card as per my Polymerization offerings effects. Not a Lunarian, so no Veil action, sadly." Eirin watched as a bright yellow light fell on her field, resurrecting her previously discarded Lunarian Bull. (1500/1300) He stomped his hoof into the ground as he tried to intimidate the almighty dragon. "Once per turn my Angel can revive dead Lunarians. But enough of that. I remove from play one Lunarian in my deck to add Rainbow Prism Light from my grave to my hand. Next I will use it to bring out Lunarian Shooter. She can be summoned through a fusion of Envoy of the Moon and any Lunarian, so I'm using the Bull on my field!"

Eirin removed one card from her hand and watched as Lunarian Bull vanished into a dimensional rift. in his place stood a beautiful girl with Long white hair and a navy blue shirt and skirt. (2400/2000) She aimed two silver guns at the dragon. "Now I'll activate my Angel's other effect before drawing. You see, when a card summoned by her effect is removed from the field, I have to remove from play one card in my deck." She gladly did so as she watched her angel gain a further 100 attack points.

"You do known it's pointless. You can't raise her attack enough to beat my dragon. And even if you could, it wouldn't matter. Sure you'd save Emi, but she'd never feel the same way you do about her." Lee smirked as he noticed he had struck a nerve.

"Shut up."

"She _is _straight you know." Lee taunted. "She's got two great guys going after her, Ryou and Subaru. You can never hope to compete. So why not give up and let her stay like this?" He motioned to Emi's lifeless body.

"She's my friend, I'm going to save her."

**Eirin: 2900**

"I'll remove from play one Lunarian in my deck to activate Shooter's special effect. once per turn I can reduce the attack of one monster on the field by half, so your dragon is going down!" Lunrian Shooter fired two bullets with a loud bang. Blue Eyes Silver Dragon let out a roar of pain as the bullets struck her in the belly. (2500/2500) "Now I activate Black Rock Blast. I can remove from play one Lunarian on my field to allow another to attack twice in this turn. I'll remove from play my Rat to allow Shooter to gain an extra attack."

"That's pointless, you can't beat my dragon! She still has 100 extra attack points!" Lee protested.

"That's where my last card comes into play. I activate Gift of the Martyr to offer my Angel and her 2800 attack points to Shooter, boosting her attack to 5200. Now go, destroy both his monsters!" Shooter jumped into the sky and unleashed a storm of bullets on on Lee's monster's destroying them both. The boy grunted in pain as he was caught in the attack, knocking him backwards and off his feet.

**Lee: 0**

"Grrr, I refuse to accept this. Why, the hell don't you even remember me?" Lee demanded.

"Who the hell are you?"

Lee swung his arm wildly, causing a blue light to surround Emi's body. "Sorry, but that's classified info." Suddenly, Emi and the boy both vanished from sight. "If you really want ton know, then come find us."

"Hey, get back here!" Eirin fell to her knees and pounded the Earth. "Dammit, Lee, whoever the frick you are, I am going to kick your ass the next time we meet."

* * *

Fray smiled as Lee approached her, holding the motionless body of Emi Fujibayashi. "Looks like you managed to survive defeat. That's lucky. Not many of us can. It's the price of our power."

They were in a room built with stone walls and a stone floor. Torches once again offered light in the darkness and warmth in the cold. A large red carpet with golden embroidery offered some sense of mejestic appeal.

"Don't lump me in with the weaker among us." The boy grunted. "I still can't believe Thorn was destroyed by Naota of all people. He's a Pro duelist, he's lost before and managed to keep himself together, then he loses to someone like that chump?"

"Naota managed to luck out. If it weren't for those last two cards, he'd never have won," Fray's eyebrows wrinkled in thought. "I still can't believe he was lucky enough to get them just in time."

In a swirling vortex of darkness, Ender appeared with a smirk on his face. "Oh, you think luck had anything to do with this Fray? How mistaken you are. It amuses me." Ender's hand began glowing with a bright blue light. "Those cards came from Yuu. He somehow predicted that Thorn would go after Naota, then gave those cards to him to protect him. As such, they were embedded with his love or some bullshit like that and they only appeared when needed."

"Wait, embedded with love? That crap actually works?" Fray asked with a grin. "You're kidding, right?"

"It's basically how Ris works," Lee continued. "You know, that mysterious energy force that governs everything?"

"Ughh, Ris," Fray rubbed her temples in pain. "I still don't fully understand how it works."

"Nobody does," Ender stated.

* * *

Ross turned to his traveling companions. "Think Nekoryu and Cristian's story is going to end up entangled with outs somehow? Knowing the way fiction tends to work dictates that there's a decent possibility all this is connected somehow. Even if this isn't fiction."

"I doubt it," Isamu responded. "After all, Nekoryu hasn't been anywhere near here, what are the chances that he'd be involved in anything going on here?"

Nayuta answered, "probably better than the chance of you coming across _two separate_ adventures involving magic and mystery."

Naota sighed. "Usually in fiction, if there are three separate plots going on then there's some hidden thread connecting them all. The Midnight Duel, Nekoryu, and these Servants."

"What exactly happened during the Midnight Duel?" Ross asked.

Naota's eyes wavered slowly. "Children were kidnapped by a cult and sacrificed to God."

* * *

Eirin marched forward with no idea if she was going in the right direction or not. She just wanted to rescue her friend. That's all that really mattered to her. "Lee, Lee, why does he seem so familiar?" She tried to focus her memories on her past, wondering if she'd ever known a boy named Lee.

* * *

**No, nobody with that name comes to mind. Unless you count Rock Lee from Naruto. My only real friend growing up was Emi. We hung out together a lot, just the two of us.**

**

* * *

**"So," A young Eirin ran toward a young Emi. "Your friends Ryou and Subaru? Think I can meet them one day?" She smiled brightly. "You keep talking about them all the time."

"Well, Ryou's really shy," Emi rubbed the back of her neck, "And Subaru doesn't really like meeting new people. We only know each other 'cause our mothers are friends. He prefers to play video games all day."

"Oh-okay." Eirin smiled.

* * *

**She talked about them all the time. How amazing they were, how cute they were, and how much she liked them both. When we got older, it became quite obvious that she had a crush on Ryou and that she liked Subaru as well. hearing about it made me a little sad inside, but I smiled, for her.**

**

* * *

**Eirin hugged Emi tightly. "I'll miss you too, Emi. But I'll be back during summer. And then next year you can come join me at the academy."

"Don't forget to write," Emi cried. She reached into her pocket. "Here, I got you these. They're Fusion Monsters. most of them require 1 Lunarian + 1 Specific Moon themed monster. Like Lunarian Archer, she's made from Maiden of the Moonlight and any Lunarian. Some of them are more specific though. Basically they focus on removing from play cards in your deck, thus thinning it out. It'd be really useful for your deck. And Subaru got you a card as well," she handed over Lunarian Star Dancer.

"Thanks, Emi." Eirin smiled. "He's a second year, right? Maybe I'll finally meet him."

* * *

**I did, and he apparently had no clue who I was. Neither did Ryou. Though they both knew each other. Apparently, as much as she loved talking about them, Emi never talked about me.**

* * *

Fray yawned as she looked around the stone room. "Skeith is almost free. Then we can set our sights on the other five members of the Octogram. I just hope the Lightside doesn't interfere."

"Don't worry," Ender told her. "They're too busy focusing on Ryan. They think they can train him or something. I don't honestly know what they're planning but they truly believe that he can save them all, somehow."

Fray grinned. "We'll just have to show them now won't we. But for now we have to wait until our targets arrive."

"How about a quick game in the meantime?" Ender suggested. His Duel Disk sprang to life as he drew six cards.

**Ender 4000**

**Fray 4000**

"I set one card and summon Shadow Templar Assault in defense mode." (900/1200) The shadowy knight appeared in defense mode, shoving her sword into the stone ground. "I end my turn and use my monster's effect to special summon a friend in defense as well. Come on out, Plague. (1200/1700) My new monster gains two Shadow Counters. Your move, Fray."

before Fray could do anything, Plague's shadow pierced her side.

**Fray: 3400**

The female duelist drew her card. "300 per Templar you control, right? I set one card face down and summon Glitterfly in defense mode." (0/0) A small golden butterfly appeared on her field and began sprinkling glitter everywhere. "I end my turn thus allowing her effect to activate. At the end of the turn, any monster in the same mode as her is destroyed. So say good-bye to both your Templars!" Glitter fell on both Shadow Templars, they tried to shake it off, but it began slowly weighing them down. It felt heavy, unlike real glitter.

"I activate Mirage of Biased Faith, this destroys all my Shadow Templars before you can!" The two Templars exploded and their shadow merged, forming a dark shadow that grew out of the ground. Its claws dug deep into the stone floor, leaving deep gashed behind. (0/2000) "This is my Mirage God Token! He gains 1000 defense for each Templar destroyed by Mirage of Biased Faith, though he loses 1000 each turn."

"That's pointless!" Fray warned. "My Glitterfly still destroys him!" Glitter fell from above, causing the Mirage God to split into three smaller shadows. (0/0) "These are my Mirage Faith Tokens. They get summoned in attack mode. When they're destroyed I take 2000 damage, but that's okay, I don't plan to let them stay around for very long." Ender drew a card. "I release my three monsters to summon Shadow Dragoon-Vlad. he can be Special Summoned by releasing three Dark Monsters I control." (3000/3000) He was large with pale white skin and an elegant red cloak and long blonde hair. "Next I normal summon Wrath!" (300/2000) The knight joined the team. "I reduce my Vlad's defense by 1000 to activate one of his two effects. I can release a Shadow templar I control to inflict damage to you equal to its defense."

Wrath's shadow began moving toward Vlad's hand, forming a spear. Wrath withered away as Vlad tossed the spear directly at fray, piercing her side.

**Fray: 1400**

"You may now take your turn**,"** Ender smirked.

Fray drew her next card. "I summon Fray Butterfly Will of the Wind.**"** (800/500) "You should have destroyed by Glitterfly with an attack. You shouldn't have feared my face down."

"I don't fear it. I simply don't fear your Glitterfly's effect. You'll see why on my next turn."

"Next I activate the Spell card Metamorphisis of the Soul. I remove from play one Fray Butterfly in my hand to Special Summon one from my deck. So I bring out Najira of the Nexus," ((1700/300) "She reduces your Vlad's stats to 0, not that it matters!" Pollen fell on the vampire, causing him to rub his nose in agony. Not even the undead could escape the torturous agony of allergies. "When Will is on the field, Level 5 and lower Fray Butterflies can attack directly. go, Will, Najira, attack him directly."

Both butterflies shot forward, hitting Ender in the gut.

**Ender: 1500**

Ender grinned. "See why I didn't need to get rid of your Glitterfly? I knew Najira could just as easily neutralize Vlad's effectiveness, so I didn't need to risk activating your trap pointlessly."

Glitterfly fluttered about as Vlad promptly dissolved into a shadowy mist.

"My move, I presume?" Ender drew a card and watched as Will and Najira vanished.

"During your standby phase, my Fray Butterflies are removed from play, but I can summon replacements from my hand. So I bring out two Ileana the Irons." (300/2300) "While on the field, Ileana gives all Fray Butterflies 1000 extra defense, making my Butterflies an impenetrable defense." (300/4300) "Now I activate my face down card, Iron Edge. I select one monster on the field and you either attack it this turn or take damage equal to one half its defense. So I choose my first Ileana."

A metallic light surrounded one of the butterflies and Ender could have sworn he heard the sound of sharpening metal. "Heh, I'd be threatened if I didn't hold the key to victory. I activate the Spell Card dark world Dealings. We each draw a card then discard a card." Both players grabbed a card from their deck.

"Heh, this is better than what I already had," fray commented as she slipped her old card away."

"Assault, Wrath, Plague, Vlad, and now I'll get rid of another card from my hand." He smiled. "I have five Dark Monsters in my graveyard and no monsters on my field. So I can bring out the dark creator in defense mode!" (2300/3000) A metallic being rose and stood tall as it unfurled its wings. "I remove from play my Vlad to revive the recently discarded Reincarnation." (1200/1700) "Next I set one card end my turn and let my reincarnation bring my Assault back from the graveyard!" (900/1200) "He gains two Shadow Counters, but that doesn't matter. I use his effect to Special Summon Cruelty!" (1200/2700) "All my other Templars gain two Counters, and Cruelty gains one for each of those!" He grinned. "And then Cruelty gives each Templar another Counter."

"Did you forget about my Trap Card?" Fray asked. "Since you didn't attack, then during the endphase, Iron Edge inflicts 2150 damage to you."

"Oh, did you really think I forgot about that?" Ender smiled. "By removing ten Shadow Counters from my field I can activate this trap card the turn it's set. I can release one Templar I control to reflect the damage back to you. So I release Cruelty. Go, Shadowmallet!"

Metal shrapnel flew at Ender who simply smiled as the shadows formed a mallet that knocked them back at Fray.

**Fray 0**

"My defense is absolute," Ender smirked. "Remember that, Fray."

Fray growled. "I swear that one day I'll be better than you."

* * *

**Author's Rant: What the hell FFNet? **

**Why is it that when I type you occasionally decide to drop the second letter of the sentence to the next line for no reason whatsoever?**

**Wy in the world would you do that?  
h**

^I did that on purpose to show everyone what it looks like, but yeah.....**  
**


	43. Ryou's Gauntlet Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX or .hack or Power Rangers or Pokémon. Or Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha  
**

**Author's Note: An Anticlimactic End for some villains that have been around since chapter 2...it's almost sad**

**Anyway a Special Thanks to FaytSeeker, for being my newest reader. I'm not sure if you'll make it this far, but if you do, then thank you.**

**And special thanks to EmblemDuelist, for being a great reviewer.**

**Anyway this chapter focuses on Ryou, a character that, as you know, was loaned to me by Tsukiyomaru. I like using friends' OCs. if it weren't against the rules, I'd so totally ask any one who wanted to to leave an OC in a review, along with their name, personality, backstory, appearance, and deck. But I can't.**

* * *

Ienzo watched Sousuke, Hiroaki, Fumiko, and Sora from a flat screen television. He sat on a comfortable couch and sipped some hot chocolate. "Looks like they're about to do something interesting." Ienzo blew into his mug, cooling the scalding liquid. "I almost feel sorry for the Organization. They don't know how badly we've got them dancing in our palms."

"No, they don't" said a voice from behind him.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Kaito. Where have you been?"

"You sound startled."

"I didn't know you were here."

"Then who the Hell were you talking to?"

Ienzo sighed. "Myself, obviously." He grabbed a pillow and tossed it at Kaito. "That doesn't answer my question of where you've been."

"I was busy, doing things." Kaito responded vaguely.

"Glare."

"If you must know, I went to visit Yuu. He's been in contact with Kaiba and Yugi. It seems that Kaiba is planning a festival. I got distracted and followed him instead. It seems that things are going to get busy here soon. And with Kaiba and Yugi appearing, morale is sure to rise. If we don't acquire Skeith by then, we may have to start over."

"Ughhhh, this is headache inducing. We should be focusing on Ryou not Naota and his _nakama_."

Kaito grinned. "Relax, I thought you knew. Hiroaki and the others are on their way to duel him right now. While we focus on Naota-tachi our friends will be taking care of Ryou for us."

* * *

Ryou stood in the cold night, staring at his opponent. A third-year Obelisk Blue had challenged him and was losing badly. "First, I Gemini summon the Gigaplant on my field so i can use his effect. I'll revive Lonefire Blossom and offer her to bring out Archfiend Scythe Sakura. Then I'll use Polymerization to fuse my Gigaplant with Abyss Flower to make Chaos Abyss Phantomplant. Now, Sycthe Sakura will destroy your Spear Dragon!" A pink haired warrior with a black robe spun forward, slicing through a defenseless dragon with his mighty scythe. "Since he destroyed a monster in battle, his effect activates, and I can remove from play one plant in my graveyard to raise my Life Points by its attack." A card shot out of his graveyard, and Ryou placed it in a separate zone. "I pick Gigaplant."

**Ryou: 6400**

"Next**, **I'll use my Chaos Abyss Phantomplant's effect to Special Summon a removed from play Plant, welcome back Gigaplant."

**?: 2300**

"I-I give up,**" **said the Obelisk Blue as he fell over. "Dammit, why will I never be good enough?"

"Heheheh," Skeith laughed in the back of Ryou's head. "That's the fifteenth one in an hour. It seems that these fools can't even make it to the end of the duels. At this rate I'll receive enough anguish to free myself in card form."

"Then what do you plan to do, Skeith?" Ryou asked. "The Organization has sought your power, i doubt they'll stop once you're free."

"They have done well to help aid my escape. I shall grant their wishes."

"How exactly do you plan to do that anyway?" Ryou asked.

"Well, you see, each member of the Octogram has the ability to influence the human world in some way. All I intend to do is influence it a little." Skeith seemed unusually cheery at the moment, but Ryou didn't mind. He supposed the spirit must have been feeling pretty well with the recent victories.

* * *

Ienzo sighed. "It seems that I've been assigned to hunt down Duel Spirits soon. A pity, i prefer not to do any work if at all possible. But the Octogram must be fed if they are to grow in strength."

"I know this," Kaito stated. "Why are you telling me?"

"I like hearing my thoughts out loud, haven't we just discussed this? I'm not telling you, I'm telling myself." Ienzo shook his head. "Do you think we'll ever finish our mission?"

Kaito nodded. "Sure we will, Ienzo. We just need to get the humans to free the Octogram, and when that is over and done with our masters will finish the rest and we will be free."

"Free huh?"

* * *

Ryou silently waited, knowing that news of his victories had spread. Surely new challengers would approach. After all, word of his power had already spread, and people were always looking for a good duel. That's why so many people migrated to this school. Sadly, as Ryou had discovered, most of them were talentless hacks. Only a few actually demonstrated any skill. He looked up at the moon, smiling as the pale moonlight fell from the sky above like a heavenly gift. "Skeith, do you feel that? That power? What is it?"

"That is Ris, the energy that controls all."

"I think I like it," Ryou smirked. He closed his eyes and waited. in the distance he could hear duelists in the night, walking his way. "It seems like we have our new opponents. When I beat them, do you think you could teach me about this Ris?"

"Perhaps."

Ryou's hair hid a vicious glow in his eyes as he turned to face the four challengers. just as they arrived, he opened his mouth to give a greeting. "Hello, you four. What brings you all here?"

Hiroaki smiled. "We heard you got some new cards. We thought we'd try our new decks out against the legendary Ryou."

"Legendary? I wouldn't quite say that. I'm just better than the four of you." His Duel Disk sprang to life with a louder roar than usual, almost as if it craved the blood of the four challengers. "So, there's four of you. How shall we do this? One at a time. Two triangle duels? or should I just take all four of you on at once?"

"I'm first," Fumiko stepped forward. Her Ra yellow uniform flapped around her ankles as the win picked up. "A dramatic wind, a sure sign that big things are about to happen." She drew six cards, and began planning her first move.

* * *

**~Fumiko~**

* * *

**My family was always really poor. I could barely afford any cards beyond what I got in the starter decks. I had bad luck to. All the cards I got in booster packs always seemed to suck, badly. I know every card has its place, but some of these cards just don't work without the right components. Even a legendary Fusion like Black Skull Dragon is worthless if you can't get the right cards. Still, I'd have killed to get a card like that. At least I could sell it for money and buy some more cards. Or something.**

**

* * *

**Ten-year-old Fumiko sighed as she walked to school. Her long hair was up in a pony tail and she wore her older brother's hand me down shirt, a simple black T-shirt a picture of the Power rangers on it. Her parents had gotten it cheap at a yard sale years ago, but it was old now, and there was a small hole near the bottom and the sleeves were starting to fray a little. Her backpack was even worse. A small hole was starting to form in the bottom, and she was worried that it would fall apart any day. She was nearing the campus and she could already hear some kids on the flutophone. They were playing their school's alma mater. Fumiko was quite fond of the song, so she decided to hum along.

She heard panting behind her as someone struggled to catch up with her. It was a boy with short blond hair wearing a white T-shirt and khaki shorts. He wore a black backpack with a picture of Pikachu on it. "Hey, Fumiko, how are you?"

"Hi Felix," Fumiko said with a smile. "You're early today. Didn't come early like usual?"

"I was dueling my cousin today. I nearly won but he beat me with his dark Horus and Horus Level 8." Felix sighed. "It sucks, I thought I was doing really well." He pouted. "My Theinen, Wild Nature's Release, and Beast Riser combo was supposed to be indestructible"

"I'm sure you'll beat him next time. You just have to keep trying," Fumiko told him with a smile.

"You, you really think so?" Felix grinned. "Okay! Next time I duel him I will make sure to win!"

The two held hands as they walked through the gateway to school. A red Toyota passed by them, entering the school grounds. "Hey, who's car is that?" Fumiko asked. The way the light reflected off it made it look shiny and new. She didn't remember any kids whose family owned a car like that. Red didn't seem to be a very popular color here. Maybe they were being dropped off by an uncle or an older sibling?

"I don't know. How am I supposed to remember what kind of car everyone's mom and dad drives." Felix wrinkled his nose.

"Because you're the kid with the uber memory." Fumiko rolled her eyes. Felix did have exceptional memory for a ten-year-old, he was always bragging about it. His dream was to put his memory to good use by becoming a great detective or police officer. "What was Susanna wearing last week Tuesday?"

Felix's face scrunched up. He knew the answer, but giving it would only prove Fumiko's point. Still, his personality forbade him from withholding the answer. "She wore a pink cardigan and blue shorts. And she had a Pokémon band-aid on her left hand."

"Good boy."

"I'm not a dog," the boy grumbled. "Anyway, I don't think I recall anyone here having a red car. Strange, it's an odd coincidence, don't you think?"

Fumiko shook her head. "It's how stupid this world is." Her face twisted into a pained expression. "Red is associated with Osiris, and according to Duel Academia, Osiris is the weakest of the dorms. Osiris has become associated with mediocrity. That's why sales of red cars have plummeted in recent years. All because of a card game. Don't get me wrong, Duel Monsters is fun, but some people take it too seriously." She began running her fingers across the green chain link fence.

Cars honked their horns as parents said good-bye to their children. "Oh, do you recognize her?" Fumiko pointed as a girl got out of the red car. Her memory was far more average, so she couldn't remember every single student on campus, but someone like this didn't seem like the type of person she could forget. She had beautiful long blue hair that cascaded down her back, falling to her knees. Sher had pale skin that made her look sickly. Her clothes stood out though the most. Her shirt was as red as roses with black sleeves detached from the main outfit, exposing her shoulders. A black hat rested on her head, two pieces of cloth fell out the back, running alongside her hair, stopping at her ankles. the way the material spread out looked like wings.

You definitely don't forget a girl who dresses like _that. _That and she sort of looked Asian. Fumiko didn't really remember that many Asians attending the school._  
_

"Not as far as I remember." Felix dashed forward. "Hello," he said, waving. "You new here."

"Felix!" Fumiko cried out. She brought her palm to her face.

The girl turned to him. "Oh, hello."

"My name is Felix. And this is Fumiko," he gestured to his friend. "We don't recognize you from around here. Are you new?"

"Yep, totally. My name is Kotone." She said with a cute voice.

* * *

**Kotone was a nice girl. She hung out with us a lot. She also turned out to be a huge fan of Duel Monsters. I know, _big surprise, _right? We played with her a lot during recess.  
**

**

* * *

**The cafeteria was crowded with students eating their lunches. Fumiko poked at some cold corn on her plate, pushing it around pointlessly. "Why does lunch always taste like wet paper and snot?" She complained.

"That's why I always bring home lunch. Want some?" Kotone offered Fumiko a tasty looking peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Crunchy peanut butter, the best kind. And grape jelly, also the best kind."

"Thanks," Fumiko said graciously. She disagreed with Kotone's assessment, but she wasn't going to complain about free food. Especially when it was edible food.

"I don't know what you two are complaining about," Felix said as he devoured the dry and bland turkey on his plate. Fumiko's eyes twitched in disgust.

"Hey, did you guys bring your decks today?" Kotone asked, producing a standard deck of Duel Monsters card. "I'm bored. At my house the only person who will duel me is my mom, and I think she lets me win."

"Yeah," Felix answered as he swallowed some food, "I brought my cards." He reached into his pants pocket and brought out his cards, shuffling them as he did so.

"I have mine, but, like I said, they suck." Fumiko shuffled her cards and put them on the table.

"That's okay, we're just going to have some fun." Kotone produced a pen and some paper and scribbled down the words _Fumiko 4000, Felix 4000, Kotone 4000. _"Fumiko goes first, then Felix, then me, and nobody attacks on their first turn. Got it?" Kotone drew five cards from her deck as she carefully watched Fumiko draw six. "I reallyb wish mom and dad would let me bring my Duel Disk," Kotone sighed.

"Not like it matters," Fumiko examined her cards. "I don't have one so we couldn't play together anyway."

"Oh, sorry." Kotone apologized.

Fumiko tossed a card onto the table. "I summon Living Vase in defense mode and equip it with Steel Armor, giving it a 1000 point defense boost." (900/2100) :I end my turn." She placed a small card sideways on the table and played another card on top of it.

"That thing is ugly," Felix said as he drew a card. Indeed, Living Vase looked like a green puddle of mush with flowers on its head. "All right, here I go." He grinned madly. "I summon Rescue Cat in attack mode." (300/100) "Now by sacrificing him I can Special Summon two Level 3 or lower Beasts from my deck until the end of the turn!" He moved the card to a separate pile and searched his deck. "I bring out X-Saber Airbellum and Des Wombat!" (1600/300) (1600/200)

"Why would you do that?" Fumiko asked. "You can't attack this turn. Are you going to use Double Summon so you can use them as Tribute Fodder?"

"My X-Saber is a tuner monster. I'm tuning my two monsters together to bring out my newest card. Synchro Summon, Wild Ape- Congo!" (2100/200) "Now, as long as I control no other monsters, he gains 700 extra attack points. i end my turn."

Kotone grabbed her first draw of the duel. "Okay, let me start of with a card face down in defense and one face down. Your move, Fumiko."

Fumiko drew her next card and sighed. it wasn't anything powerful. Felix had a brand new Synchro Monster to show off and who knew what kind of cards Kotone had face down. "i release my monster to summon Beautiful Beast Trainer in attack mode." (1750/1500) It was a normal monster, and if there was any support for it then it sure as heck wasn't in Fumiko's deck. "I equip her with Magic Blade- Ice Sword! This card can be used to raise a Warrior's attack by 500." (2250/1500) "Attack Kotone's face down, Freezing Slash!"

"You attacked my Millmallon." She flipped her face down card face up. (500/500) "it can't be destroyed in battle, and when it's attacked while face down, the person who attacked it loses threecards from their deck."

**Fumiko: 30**

"I'll set two cards. your move, Felix."

Felix's next card brought a smile with it. "I activate Beast's Fist. This can only be equipped to a Beast Type Synchro Monster. It deals piercing damage against defense mode monsters. And the best part? It gains 700 attack when battling a monster whose effect prevents destruction by battle. Now go, Conga, Gorilla Punch that Millmallon!"

"I activate Deck Buster." Kotone flipped her trap upward. "It negates a monster's attack and mills cards equal tot hat monster's level."

"Eeee," Felix cringed as he sent six cards from his deck to his graveyard.

**Felix: 25**

"I'll set two cards and end my turn." Felix began mentally counting the cards in his deck.

Kotone simply grinned as she drew a card. "I summon Destructon Knight in attack mode." (1600/800) "Next I equip him with Windmill Shuriken and Sword of Skulls. My second card gives my monster 1000 attack points but makes it so that I take 1000 damage if its destroyed in battle. Next I activate the spell card Riryoku, stealing half of your Conga's attack for this turn. Sorry Felix." (1400/200) (4000/800) "Now, attacl his COnga, Destroyer's Slash!"

"So how much damage do I take?" Felix began doing the math.

"None. That's Destructon's effect. he does however, mill one card for each 200 points of damage you would have taken. That makes 13 total. Then Windmill's effect activates, since I destroyed your monster in battle, that's three more cards. And it even negates any effects that activate when cards are sent from the deck to the graveyard."

**Felix: 9**

"Your move, Fumiko."

The young girl gulped as she drew her next card. "I attack your Destructon Knight and activate my face down Reinforcements to raise my monster's attack by 500." (2750/1500)

"So my monster is destroyed and my Sword's effect activates."

**Kotone: 2850**

"Next I activate my other face down card, an Unfortunate Report, allowing Felix to have two Battle Phases next turn."

"Draw!" Felix laughed as he gained his next card. "I summon Enraged Battle Ox. Now all Beasts and Beat Warriors I control can inflict Piercing damage. And I summon Berserk Gorilla." (2000/1000) "Go, Gorilla, attack Millmallon!" **(Kotone: 1350)** "Now, I activate Beast Riser and remove my Gorilla to give his attack strength to Battle Ox." He unleashed the power of his potent trap card. "Go, EBO, attack Millmallon!" (3700/1000)

**Kotone: 0**

"Heheheheh," Fumiko smiled sheepishly, "I guess I didn't need to do that."

"Nope," Felix grinned. "Go, Gorilla, attack Fumiko's Beast Tamer."

**Fumiko: 2250**

"I draw," she frowned. "I summon Watapon in defense mode." (300/200) "i end my turn."

"I summon my regular Battle Ox," (1700/1000) "And use Wild Nature's Release on it, raising his attack by his defense." Felix smiled, and Fumniko knew it was over.

**Fumiko: 0**

Kotone laughed. "That was a fun duel you guys."

"I won!" Felix cheered. "Oh yeah, I won, I won, I won.**"**

"Those are some cool cards, Kotone, where'd you get them?" Fumiko looked into her friend's eyes.

"I bought them, in a booster pack, in a store," she said bluntly. "Where'd you think I got them?"

"Oh sorry, it's just, I've never seen cards that cool before. I wish I could get cards like that. My family is pretty poor so I can only buy like, one or two booster packs every few months."

"Really? You did pretty well though," Kotone grinned. "I wonder what you could pull off with a better deck."

* * *

**Apparently, not much. I have a better deck now, but it still doesn't seem to do me any good. I still suck badly. I'm only in Ra Yellow. Sure, it's not like the old days where they let practically anyone get into Obelisk, but Ra is still pretty average here. Still, it's better than being in Osiris, I guess.**

**I really hope I see Kotone again. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't even be here."**

**

* * *

**Fumiko hugged her knees and pulled her black sweater tight. It was cold, very cold. "You didn't have to come here, guys," she told Kotone and Felix.

"Don't be silly, we're your friends, of course we're going to be here with you," Kotone said with a smile. She hugged Fumiko and brushed the hair out of her face.

"I hope your brother is okay," said Felix.

Fumiko's older brother had gotten very sick and needed to be hospitalized. He had been there a week, and Fumiko had gone to visit after school everyday. The doctor's were busy with him at the moment though, so she had to wait outside with her friends. Fumiko shivered in the cold, and Kotone hugged her tighter. "I wish we weren't so poor," she said suddenly.

"Huh?" Felix was stumped.

"The doctors said there was an operation they could do to save him. But we can't afford it. It could be the only thing that could save my brother and we can't afford it because we're too poor." A harsh tone emerged from between her clenched teeth. "I'm tired of being poor. When I grow up, I want to be rich. And then..." she didn't know what to say. It didn't matter. Even if she became rich in the future, it would do nothing for her brother today. "Maybe I can do some good in the world. Somehow."

"So, how do you want to get rich?" Kotone asked, deciding to explore the fantasy.

"I don't know."

"You could become a Pro Duelist," she suggested. "I think you have the talent."

"No," Fumiko sighed. "You need money to become a good duelist, that kind of defeats the purpose."

"You can get Duel Scholarships," Kotone explained, "and you can get into one of the Dueling Prep Schools. You fill out a form proving that your family is poor and then you take two tests. First is a written test and then a duel. they'll lend you a deck and if you can beat the Proctor's deck, then they'll let you keep your deck. Then you get to go to the Prep School. From there, if you do well enough, you can even get into Duel Academia. The best part is, once you're on a scholarship, they also send you new cards every three months to help you build a better deck. It's not much, but if you put in some of your own money into it, you can build a powerful deck. from there, you can make it to the Pros."

* * *

**In the end, my brother didn't make it. We couldn't afford the operation. Kotone and Felix stayed up with me all night as I cried. In the end, i followed her suggestion and looked into the Duel Scholarships. There were tons. Some from I2, some from Kaiba Corp, one from Schroeder Corp, and a few others as well. Now here I am, at the Academia, preparing to Ryou. Just when I had thought there was actually some hope in life. I now realize there is only despair. I don't get it. Why am I dueling Ryou. I'll never win. It'll never work. It'll never work, never work, never work. Never, never, never, never, never, never, ****never, never, never, never, never, ****never, never, never, never, never, ****never, never, never, never, never, ****never, never, never, never, never, ****never, never, never, never, never, NEVER!**

**

* * *

**

Tears streamed down Fumiko's face as she looked at her six cards.

"Geez, I haven't even kicked your ass and you're crying already." Ryou's poker face hid his joy. _'With these cards I can take the lead easily. A Ra Yellow like her won't stand a chance once my turn rolls around.'_

"I'll place one card face down and set a monster in defense mode." Two hidden cards appeared before the girl, their faces hidden from view. She rubbed her tears away as she gathered her courage. "Your move, Ryou."

"I summon Archfiend Woodrot in attack mode." (2100/0) A demonic looking black tree sprouted out of the ground. it had a creepy face like you might see in a picture book, rotting wood, and bare branches that stretched out like claws. Ryou could hear the audible sound of growing wood, a sound effect he was familiar with from television programs. Suddenly, roots sprung out of the ground and pinned Fumiko's face down card to the ground. "My, my, not so fast. I haven't ordered an attack yet. I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards and place two in the graveyard." He didn't even look at his new cards before sending two of them away. "Now, by removing from play one a Dark Plant I discarded, I can Special Summon my Level 5 Archfiend Poison Oak from my hand." (0/2000) A plant sprouted from the ground. Beautiful green laves sprouted from twigs. Suddenly, a dark ominous light roared to life around the plant as its green leaves turned blood red. "I'll remove from play a Dark Plant in my graveyard to activate his effect, boosting his defense by 1000 until my next standby phase."

(0/3000)

Fumiko cringed. She'd have no way to break through that defense. She was hoping to swarm the field and break through his defenses before attacking directly for massive damage. Perhaps if she drew a monster removal card she could still destroy it though. Catsith could help out with that. Of course he would make it harder to swarm the field. She searched her memory banks for the card she needed. What was it?

"My turns not over, so I highly suggest you focus on me," Ryou stated. "Plan your move when you know what you have to deal with. I activate Polymerization to fuse my Abyss Flower with Gigaplant to Fusion Summon Chaos Abyss Phantom Plant!" (3200/0) A black and purple version of Gigaplant rose from the ground, the sound of the shifting earth silenced Fumiko's beating heart. She looked up in fear, unable to say anything. Would she even get to make a move or would it all end for her?

"I activate his effect to Special Summon the removed from play Archfiend Chimerahedge!" (700/700) "He gains 700 attack for each Dark Plant I control!" (3500/700) The newest Archfiend had a lion's head and a snake tail, along with the wing's of an eagle. But the strangest part was the cloak of green leaves that surrounded his black fur, and the root like talons on his feet. "Woodrot, end that face down."

Woodrot's root's rose into the sky, preparing to pierce through Fumiko's defense. They shot downward like arrows.

"Hold on! I activate Mirror Force, destroying every card you have in attack mode!" A bright light overwhelmed the darkness, blanketing Fumiko in warm hope. Bang, bang, bang! In a series of explosions, Ryou's field was reduced to a single Archfiend, the one known as Poison Oak.

"Good, I wouldn't want this to be over too quickly." Ryou stated. "Your turn."

"Here! We! Go!" Fumiko smiled. "I summon Fabled Raven in attack mode!" (1300/1000) A dark humanoid raven with ruby eyes appeared in a swirl of black feathers. "I activate his effect and discard three cards from my hand. For each one, he gets an extra level and 400 more attack points until the end phase!" (2500/1000)

"Just for one turn, huh. You won't even be able to get past my defense mode monster with that." Ryou chuckled.

_'Many Fabled creatures have their effects activated when discarded. She probably aims for that.' _Skeith noted.

"When discarded, I can Special Summon Gold, Wu Lord of Dark World!" (2300/1000) A green brutish figure rose up from the grave and towered over the duelists. "I discarded Brow, so I can draw one more card!" She said as she gained a new card in her hand. She smiled when she saw what it was. "And lastly, Kahkki, when discarded, destroys one monster on the field!" Ryou's final monster exploded spectacularly, leaving him wide open to a full out assault.

"She, she won," Hiroaki said in amazement.

"Go, attack him directly, Fumiko," Sora cheered.

Only Sousuke held any doubt.

"I, I," Fumiko stuttered. Ryou simply laughed as he stared at her. "You just lost the duel. Why are you laughing?"

"Attack and you'll see."

"I, I, my Fabled Raven is now a Level 5 monster and so is Goldd, so I tune them both to Synchro Summon a monster." The two cards burst into light. "Darkness in our hearts, embrace the light, fall from grace and see the truth. Shun the boundaries between good and evil. Synchro Shokan my fallen angel, Fabled Leviathan." What appeared was a monster with beautiful red hair that fell down its neck, extravagant red and gold armor that looked like a Visual Kei singer's costume, and epic looking red wings. (3000/2000) "I end my turn."

"You're pathetic. I thought I'd allow you the chance to win, but alas, you couldn't strike the final blow. If you had attacked, you would have won." Ryou summoned his next card. "I summon AIDA Virus Anna!" (0/0) "And I'll equip it with my Chaos Abyss Phantomplant!" (3200/0) Aida Virus-Anna quickly took the form of the Phantom Plant as Ryou began doing a little mental math. "Chimerahedge, Woodrot, and Poison Oak are in my grave, so my card gains 900 attack points." Ryou grabbed his last remaining card, the one that had scared Fumiko into not attacking. "You were worried I could activate this from my hand, weren't you? I'll show you what it is. I activate Riryoku, stealing half your monster's attack."

**Fabled Leviathan- 1500/2000  
**

**Chaos Abyss Phantom Plant- 5600/0**

"Attack her monster." The AIDA Plant unceremoniously slashed through Fabled Leviathan with little effort. Fumiko fell to her knees as she heard her Life Points drop to 0.

"Heh, Riryoku."

**Fumiko 0  
**

**

* * *

**

**Like I said. I didn't have a single chance of winning.**

* * *

Fumiko collapsed.

"D-dammit," Sousuke rushed to her side. "Ryou, you're going to suffer!"

Ryou could almost laugh at the sheer absurdity of the line.

Sousuke and Hiroaki were both upset. Though she was originally little more than a pawn to them, somewhere along the way she had become a friend. They didn't like seeing Fumiko like this. She just stared forward, never moving. "Fumiko, it's okay," Sosuke said as he shook her. "Fumi-chan?" Soususke growled. "I'm next." He quickly shuffled his deck as Ryou did the same. "Let's duel."

* * *

**~Sousuke~**

* * *

**I Sousuke Umino, vow to one day be the best duelist ever born! Better than Maxwell, better than Emi, better than that stupid Magus! Better than Judai, better than Edo, ****better than Manjoume,better than Kaiba, better than Rebecca, better than Ashirogi, better than Jonouchi, and even better than Yugi Muto! And definitely better than anyone named Ryou. Be it, the Kaiser, Bakura, or this guy. I swear. one day I'm going to be the best.**

**

* * *

**

"I attack your Fairy's Gift (1400/1000) with my Blackland Fire Dragon. (1500/800)." The attacking boy had spiky orange hair and wore a blue T-shirt and beige shorts. He was about sixteen, and he grinned as he watched his monster shoot a blast of searing flames at his opponent's fairy. Orange fire rolled toward the weaker monster, but her owner simply smiled.

"Tsk, you're so gullible, Kendo." Thirteen-year-old Sousuke watched the flames overtake one of his monsters. he had two on the field, an attack mode Fairy's Gift and a defense mode Fairywitch. (800/1000) The young Fairy Witch watched her friend silently, observing the scene from the safety of her broom. She hovered above, silently waiting for any orders from her master. "I activate my face down Trap Card, Mixing Magic! By discarding a Spell Card from my hand I can Fusion Summon a Spellcaster from my Extra Deck by fusing monsters on my field. So i fuse my Fairywitch with Fairy's Gift to bring out Fairy Sorceress Almanjako!" (2200/1000) "Since I activated this card while one of the Fusion Material monsters was selected as an attack target, you have to complete the attack."

The flames leveled out and dispersed as a blonde witch with white wings emerged from the billowing smoke. A red silk robe fell off her shoulders, exposing much cleavage. She raised a hand to the Blackland Fire Dragon and repelled the flames, sending them charging back toward their source. Kendo merely rubbed his chin in deep thought. "I see you managed to get ahold of the card you wanted. Sorry to have to do this to ya, but I activate Swift Magic. by removing two Spells from my graveyard I can activate a Spell in my hand. So I use Dragon's Mirror to fuse my Blackland Fire Dragon with the Two-headed King Rex in my graveyard to bring out Scorched Land Ravaged Sky Dragon!" (2900/2000) "In addition, he gets 500 Attack points from my Dragon's Cavern Spell card," he reminded. (3400/2000)

Sousuke's eyes glanced upwards as he heard a thunderous roar from the heavens. A large serpentine dragon fell on a crash course toward Earth. His black body twisted and turned as he oriented his flight pattern. he pulled up at the last minute, and began hovering safely in the sky. "My monster is once again stronger than yours, so I'll continue the attack. Black Thunder!" The dragon opened his mouth, and black lighting spilled out, illuminating the sky with a lilac glow. The Fairy Sorceress let out a cry of pain as she was struck down.

"When selected as an attack target, my Fairy Sorceress raises my life Points by the attacker's defense. meaning that before I take any damage, I gain 3400 Life Points."

"Not quite," Kendo corrected, when you activate an effect that increases your Life Points, I can discard a dragon from my hand to negate the effect. Then, you take damage equal to the strength of the discarded dragon."

"B-but, that effect is way too powerful!"

"It's situational," Kendo explained. "I discard Felgrand Dragon and inflict 2800 damage to your Life Points! Go, Scorched Land Dragon, Gehena's Thunder!"

Dark lightning crashed into Sousuke, sending a few volts of electricity running through his system. He let out a shriek of pain as he fell to his knees.

**Sousuke:0**

It was a decisive blow. "You did well, Sousuke, but better luck next time. I'm sure you can get better. You just need some practice."

* * *

**I've always had fun playing Duel Monsters, but I kept losing. No matter how hard I tried to win, someone always bested me. My best friend, Kaz, was much stronger than I was; my big brother, Jin, could kick my butt**; **and I didn't even stand a chance against his boyfriend Kendo whenever we dueled. Everywhere I turned, people kept beating me. Even my grandmother, who started the game so she could spend time with Jin and me, was a much better duelist than I was.**

**

* * *

"**Please let there be something good in here, please let there be something good in here." Sousuke sat on the sidewalk outside his favorite gaming store. he held a booster pack in his sweaty hands as he struggled to tear it open. he fumbled with it a little, his shaky hands were barely able to grip the thing. "I want something that can help me win." The sound of peeling foil made him want to empty the contents of his stomach. he had just spent 5000 Yen on cards and hadn't gotten a single one that would significantly boost his deck's strength**. **This was his last chance.

He fanned though his new cards, reading their names out loud. "Violet Crystal, not hat's no good. Even if I did use Zombies it's useless without Violet Breaker. Beast of the Pharoah is only for Zombie decks. I already have Alchemist of Black Spells. I already have three Defender the Magical Knights." He frowned at the last card. "Oh, cool, Skull Servant**,"** he muttered.

A black car pulled up to a parking stall, quietly playing the song Shuffle. The engine shut off as the door opened and shut fairly quickly. Out stepped a beautiful lady with short brown hair and a pink sweater and blue skirt. She carried a black purse over her shoulder. Sousuke didn't notice, he was too busy staring at his cards in dismay. "Something wrong?" the woman asked him.

"Huh, oh no, sorry, I'm just ticked off because I keep getting crappy cards. I can rarely ever get anything that fits my deck theme. I use Spellcaster cards and I got a bunch of zombie support. At this rate I'll never be able to beat my friends."

"I know what you mean," she said. "When we all first started out, my friends all went Pro long ago. They're really good. I kept thinking I'd never catch up to them no matter how hard I tried, but I kept practicing. Now I'm actually dueling in the Pro leagues, when I'm not busy dancing on Broadway that is."

"Y, you're a pro?" Sousuke's mouth opened wide.

"Yep. And I'm sure that if I can go pro, then you can be a great duelist too, if you keep practicing." She raised her left arm, revealing a bright blue Duel Disk. "Hey, want to have a quick match? I'm supposed to meet my friends here, but I came a bit early."

Sousuke's Duel disk instantly snapped into action. he inserted his shuffled deck and drew six cards. "Since you're a Pro, I'm going first. I summon Gemini Elf in attack mode and play three cards face down." (1900/900) The twin elves dropped down from above, spinning quickly, all before stopping in opposite directions. They scanned the area and saw that it was safe. relaxing a little, their shoulder's eased up as they faced the mysterious female. "Your move."

"Watashi no turn! Draw!" She gently grabbed her sixth card and offered Sosuke a gentle smile. "Sorry to have to end this so quickly. I activate Harpy's Feather Duster to destroy all your face down cards!" A storm of feathers swept everything away.

"No-no way! That's an extremely rare card! I thought that Mai was the only duelist in the world who owned any!"

"Next I activate Polymerization to fuse Shining Friendship with Petit Angel to summon Glory of friendship- the Shining Philotes!" (1300/1000) A small purple ball with golden wings flew onto the field, laughing happily. "Now I activate my Spell Card, Foolish Burial, allowing me to send one monster in my deck to my grave. So I pick Guardian Nagel Joan. Next, Shining Philotes effect activates, if the top card of my graveyard is a Light Monster, then she gains that monster's attack. Joan has 2800 attack points, making my monster's attack go up to 4100!"

"That's amazing!"

"Next, I normal summon Dunames Dark witch in attack mode!" (1800/1050) The white winged fairy eyed the field and saw her opponent, a simple monster that she alone could not beat. She turned to her ally and nodded, almost as if they were making a plan. "Go, double attack!" The Pro Duelist watched her monsters both fly forward. Philotes gently flicked the Gemini Elves in a playful manner while Dunames delivered a simple kick.

**Sousuke: 0**

"That was," Sousuke was stunned. He knew he had no chance against a Pro, but to lose that quickly was still a shock. He wasn't upset though. He was actually rather amazed. Apparently this woman had once been unable to keep up with her friends and now here she was. She had made drastic improvements. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

"Hey, you said you run a Spellcaster deck, right?" The woman reached into her purse. "Take these, they should help."

"I, I can't," he said as he eyed the cards. "These are incredibly rare."

"It's okay. They don't fir my deck at all. They'd be happier with you anyway."

"Thanks ma'am."

"Please don't call me that. it makes me feel old. Call me Anzu. Mazaki Anzu."

* * *

**With the cards Anzu gave me, my deck actually became quite a bit stronger. I was able to duel evenly with some of my friends. I didn't duel Kaz, Jin, or Kendo though. There was a big tournamanet coming up, and I wanted to be able to keep my upgrades a secret in case I needed to duel them. **

**

* * *

**Sousuke looked around. "Wow, there's a lot of people here." The mall was filled with more duelists than he could count. it was jam packed. he could swear that he felt someone breathing down his neck at all times.

"Yep, over two hundred people showed up," Jin said with a grin. "How funny that we'd end up facing each bother in the first round." Indeed, it was quite strange that the two brothers would meet in round one. perhaps it was destiny or fate? Perhaps some unseen force was actually pulling the strings, just so they'd end up meeting in round 1. "Sorry I'll have to beat you."

"Hey, that's my line. I've been practicing Jin, and you won't stand a chance." Both boys activated their Duel Disks and gave each other smug looks of superiority. "You can go first."

Jin was a young man about sixteen years in age. he had a muscular body from joining the American football team at school. he wore a white T-shirt and simple blue jeans.

"I draw a card," Jin's hand moved in a blur, snatching the new card before his brother's eyes could move. "I summon Schneider Striker- Zero!" (0/0) A spiky haired brown warrior materialized on the field. He wore gray metallic armor that covered him from neck to toe. Two swords rested on his back, and his hands held two more. "His effect is like a combination of Maha Vailo's and Ben Kei. He gains 300 Attack Points and an extra attack for each Equip card on him! So i equip him with Axe of Despair and Mage Power, boosting his attack to 2600. your move."

Sousuke cringed. Just when he thought he'd be able to beat his brother, this happened. A monster with 2600 attack points and the ability to attack three times in one turn. If it got any stronger, he'd die for sure! But still, he needed to have faith. After all, he did have a few tricks up his sleeve. He drew his next card, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I summon Night's End Sorcerer (1300/400) In attack mode!" Shining lights took the form of a young child with light blonde hair, a tattered black clothe, and a light yellow scythe. "Next I activate the Spell Card Double Summon to let me bring out Gemini Elf!" (1900/900) "Now I'm tuning the two to bring out my Level six Explosive Magician!" (2500/1800) In a tunnel of flashing lights, the two monsters merged, combining their strength to open a portal for a white clad magician to make his entrance. The show magician spun his staff around, pointing it at Zero.

"Tch, your Synchro Monster is no match for my card. Sorry, Sousuke." Jin reminded his brother.

"That's okay," he stated with a grin. "I have my plans. Like, for one, I play the spell card Steelbreak draw. I can destroy 1 Equip Spell on the field to draw 1 card.I included this when I found out I'd be facing you," he watched Axe of Despair vanish, cutting the enemy monster's attack to 800. Sosuke grabbed a new card, further raising his ecstatic mood. "Go, attack, Combustion Blast!"

Boom! Zero was caught in an explosion that nearly broke Jin's eardrums.

**Jin 2300**

"Grrr," Jin forwned.

"I set three cards and end my turn." Sousuke crossed his fingers, hoping his brother wouldn't turn this around.

Jin drew a card and laughed. "Sorry bro, but I have just what I need. By removing two Equip Spells from my graveyard I can Special Summon Archfiend Darksmith!" (2200/100) An overweight man appeared on the field, holding a black hammer in one hand. His belly jiggled as he let out a deep laugh. "By discarding an Equip Spell from his hand, I can destroy 1 monster on the field, so say good bye to your Magician!" Darksmith's hammer struck the ground, sending a blinding shockwave racing toward the Magician, blowing him to pieces. "Now go, attack directly!" The man slowly moved forward, shaking the ground with each step. He struck Sousuke in the gut, causing him to double over in pain.

**Sousuke 1800**

"Next I normal summon Schenider Striker**- **Two!" (0/0) "Once per turn, I can equip him with an equip Spell from my graveyard, but this prevents him from attacking this turn, not that it matters. So I'll equip him with my second Axe of Despair. In addition, he gains 500 attack for each Equip Spell on him!" (1500/0) A dark warrior in black steel armor appeared on the field. Dark shadows moved to his hand, taking the form of Axe of Despair. "your move."

"My move!" Sousuke drew his card, knowing he'd need something good to win. "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Night's End Sorcerer(1300/1400) And I use Inferno Reckless Summon to bring out two more from my deck!" A glowing light rose from the earth, revealing three Sorcerers, all holding scythes in their hands.

"But this allows me to bring out two more of my Darksmiths," Jin explained as he placed two more on his field.

"Now I activate my face down Dimension Runes! I release one of my Night's Ends to revive Explosive Magician and destroy your Axe of Despair!" In a dance of lights, Explosive Magician returned to the field. Noticing the arrival of a new monster, one of the Night's End Sorcerers sprang forward in an attempt to impress Sousuke. He threw his scythe forward. it spun quickly, like a buzzsaw. Schneider Striker attempted to hold it off with Axe of Despair, but the scythe cut through the demonic axe before boomeranging back to the Sorcerer's hand. "Heheheh, go, Explosive Magician, destroy his monster!"

Kaboom! Jin's Life Points fell with a gentle electronic drizzling sound.

**Jin: 0**

"Wow," Jin said with a smile. "When did my little brother get to be so good?"

Sousuke felt overjoyed.

**

* * *

**

**In another twist of fate, my brother's boyfriend ended up being my next opponent. I was excited to have beaten my brother, but I knew that Kendo was even stronger.**

**

* * *

**"I heard you managed to beat your brother in round one. Looks like you've gotten better." Kendo smiled. "But don't think this will be a cakewalk. I've improved my deck since I last saw you." he drew six cards. "I activate Polymerization to fuse my Serpent Night Dragon with Meteor Dragon to bring out Meteor Night Dragon!" (3800/2200) The new monster had a long serpentine body that looked like it was made of molten magma. "Next I activate my Dragon Mirror to remove them from play to bring out Serpent Meteor!" (2700/2000) A smaller, jet black version of the first dragon appeared on the field. "Next I set one card, your move."

"Two fusion monsters in one turn, huh?" Sosuke's hand improved as he grabbed his next card. "Too bad I've got what I need to end this. I activate the Spell Card, Terpsichore's Lyre. This card lets me Synchro Summon a monster with cards from my hand, so long as I discard a spell first. So by sending a spell to my graveyard I can tune my Night's End Sorcerer to my Level 4 Catoblepas to bring out Explosive Magician!" (2500/1800) Sousuke's luck was looking up. He'd been getting out his Synchro Monster fairly quickly so far. if this kept up, he'd definitely win.

In a tunnel of lights, the white dressed wizard made a spectacular entrance. Sure, he wasn't strong enough to beat either monster, but he didn't need to. "I summon Abyss Magician in attack mode." (0/100) A small witch in black materialized on Sousuke's field. "She's a Tuner Monster. And by discarding a spell from my hand, I can tune her with a spellcaster in my grave by removing them both from play. So, I get rid of my last card and tune her with my Catoblepas to bring out my Level 5 Juliette the Sun!" (2000/200) "If I have no cards in my hand when she's Synchro Summoned I can draw two cards from my deck." he eyed his new cards and grinned.

"They're still not enough, or did you get something?"

"I end my turn," he stated.

"Then I'll go," Kendo drew his next card and laughed. "I activate Dragon Flare Wave! I discard one card from my hand to raise the attack of all dragons by 1000 until the endphase." (4800 and 3700) "Next I activate my face down trap card, Dragon rage. I tribute one Dragon to give its attack to another until the turn ends!" His second dragon burst into flame as he was absorbed by the first, who proceeded to grow in size. (8500/2200)

"Well crap, just when I thought I had this all completely figured out, looks like, kidding." Sousuke watched his two monsters burst into light.

"W-what's happening?" Kendo asked.

"Accel Synchro. This is something a friend taught me. "By using my Synchro Tuner, Juliette and my Synchro monster, Explosive Magician, I can bring out my Accel Synchro Monster. So I summon thee, Radiantus the Miracle Knight!" A spellcaster in mystic looking white robes appeared. His long black hair spilled to the floor as he danced around, spinning a shining blade. (3700/2500)

"I-I, attack. Blazing Meteora!" Kendo ordered. His dragon fired a series of meteors against the enemy.

"When Radiantus is selected as an attack target, I can activate one of his effects. By discarding two Spells from my hand, I can negate the attack and inflict damage to you equal to half that monster's strength!" Kendo frowned. He had empowered his monster just in case Sousuke had a way to strengthen his own creatures. it had all backfired badly.

The meteors crashed into a wave of light that tore through the field, slicing into Kendo's body.

**Kendo** 0

* * *

**It was a trick Anzu had taught me before vanishing. She said only those who were pure of heart could pull it off. I thought it was a load of crap, but it was still a neat trick. Accel Synchro, my ultimate trump. But my next opponent would be my strongest yet. My best friend, Kaz.**

**

* * *

**Kaz smiled at Sousuke. "Good luck, bro." He had short black hair and wore a black shirt and black shorts. Despite all the black he came off awfully cheery, disproving the stereotype. "You want the first move, or should I go?"

Sousuke smiled s he drew six cards. "I'll go first." He eyed his cards. _'Tch, don't have my tuners just yet.'_ He steadied his irrational breathing. The duel had just begun, there was no reason to get worked up right away. "I summon Genin in attack mode and set one card." (600/900) What appeared appeared to be an invisible creature wearing a frilly collar, white gloves, clownish shoes, and a silly hat. "I know he seems weak, and he might not have any effect, but tread lightly or I'll walk all over you."

"I hope that card is a good one, because I'm about to swarm the field," Kaz warned. Sousuke knew that Kaz wasn't bluffing, his Zombie deck could easily swarm the field if given the chance. "I summon Zombie Master in attack mode." (1800/0) A ghoulish looking necromancer rose from a pile of bones. "Now, my graveyard is empty so I can't use his effect just yet, so I'm afraid I'll have to use Tribute to the Doomed and discard a card to destroy Genin."

Bandages shot from the ground and wrapped themselves around Genin, attempting to take him to the underworld. "I activate Death Trick. When an attack mode Normal Spellcaster is about to be destroyed, I can release it to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand, so say hello to Dark Magician!" (2500/2100) The famous and instantly recognizable master of magicians Earth with a smile on his face. He wagged his finger at Kaz as if to scold him for being so easily fooled.

"Hah, looks like you got something good on your first turn, but it won't be enough." Kaz selected a Spell from his hand and used it. "Need I explain Card of Safe Return's effect?"

"So now you get to draw a card whenever you revive a monster from your grave. Sounds problematic for me."

"I discard a monster to revive my discarded Zombie Master!" he smiled as he gained a second Zombie Master (1800/0) as well as a new card to replace the one he discarded. "Now I'll discard another monster to revive my Plaguespreader Zombie." (400/200) he once more drew a card. "And he's a Tuner, you know that, right? So I tune him to my first Zombie Master to Synchro Summon revived King Ha-Des!" (2450/0) The undead king rose from another pile of bones. "Now I return one card from my hand to my deck to revive my Plaguespreader. of course, I just draw it again thanks to card of Safe Return. And then I tune it with my other Zombie Master to Synchro Summon a second King Ha Des!" (2450/0) "Of course, this time, my Tuner is removed from play."

Sousuke frowned. Two Synchro Monsters to face. Not good. Not good at all. "Now I remove from play the Mezuki in my graveyard to revive my Zombie Master!" (1800/0) "And I actually gain a new card without having to discard one. El-oh-el." He immediately presented his newest acquisition to Sousuke. "And since I just drew another Mezuki, I'll discard it to revive my second Zombie Master!" (1800/0) "And I'll discard another card and revive it immediately! Come on out, Zombie Master number three!" (1800/0) He had five monsters out, and couldn't use it's effect, but that didn't bother him at all. "I activate Violet Crystal, raising the Attack and Defense of one of my Revived King's by 300 each!" (2750/300) Purple crystals began covering the king's body.

"You don't have a single defense that can stop my full out assault. Go, Ha Des, Violet Death!" Violet Crystals shot forward and pierced Dark Magician's heart.

**Sousuke 3750**

"Now go, full out attack!"

"I Special summon Battle Fader from my hand to negate your attack!" Sousuke laughed. "I included this card just to stop this from happening."

"I set one card and end my turn."

Sousuke laughed as he drew his card. "I remove from play the Dark Magician in my graveyard to Special Summon Neon Magician Alcatraz. His stats are double the removed monster's. (5000/4200) "Attack the Revived King Ha Des with Violet Crystal!" Bright lights spun toward the undeat king, causing Kaz to smile. "I activate Violet Break. By destroying all monsters equipped with Violet Crystal, I can deal you 300 damage for each!" Ha Des exploded into a storm of purple crystals that flew past Sousuke, cutting his skin.

Sosuke 3450

"Then I can Special Summon from my deck a Zombie with less original attack then one of the destroyed monsters. So come on out Il Blud!" (2100/800) Sousuke cringed at the sight of the hideous monster. It looked like an overweight man with a face sticking out of the zipper on his shirt.

"I set one card and end my turn," Sousuke stated. He watched his monster's stats drop to half. (2500/2100)

"Draw!" Kaz smiled. "Since I have no room, I might as well Genmini Summon Il Blud, not that he can Special Summon any more zombies with a full field. "Or that it matters. You see, I was holding on to this just in case," he presented a second Violet Crystal. "I equip it to my other Ha Des," (2750/300) "Now he'll take care of your Magician. Go, Violet Scythe!" Purple crystals traveled up Ha Des's arm, shaping into a scythe. He slowly moved forward and slashed at Alcatraz.

"I activate my face down Dust Tornado. I can destroy your Violet Crystal and set a card from my hand!" Violet Crystal shattered, and Ha Des' scythe fell to pieces. Alcatraz smiled as he kiocked the monster in the stomach, causing it to cave in on itself.

**Kaz 3950**

Kaz smiled. "Well, I revive my Ha Des with Il Blud's effect and draw a card." He frowned. "Well, it's not my third Violet crystal. But anyway, seeing as I could be in trouble anytime soon, I set all three of my cards and remove from play my Violet Break, meaning I can draw until I have a number of cards in my hand equal to the Viuolet Crystals in my grave," he stated as he gained two cards. "I switch my Zombie Master's into defense mode." It made them vulnerable to attack, but at least his Life Points were safe.

"Zombies are weak against piercing you know," Sousuke stated as he drew a card.

"Most monsters are weak against traps you know," Kaz retorted.

"Touché." Sousuke examined his hand with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. "But I think I have this won. I activate my face down Ring of Destruction, destroying your Ha Des and inflicting its attack to both of us!"

A ring equipped with grenades restrained the king as it exploded with a loud kaboom.

**Sosuke 1000**

**Kaz 1500**

"And now that that's done, I activate Giant Trunade, returning all Spells and Traps to their owner's hands. And I'll equip Il Blud with Snatch Steal, taking him as my own! To follow up, I'll revive your Ha Des, allowing you to draw one card. Now all my monsters will attack your Zombie Masters, wiping the field clean!" The Zombie monsters turned to dust as they were hit by the combined forces of Sousuke's field. But it didn't matter.

"If I destroy my Il Blud," Kaz drew a card and gained Life Points via Snatch Steal, "then Ha Des goes as well."

**Kaz 2500**

"I remove from play the Mezuki in my graveyard to Special Summon Ha Des to the field!" Kaz announced as he drew a card. "Then I'll equip him with Violet Crystal and summon Mezuki from my hand!" (1700/800) A large axe fell from above as Ha Des rose from below. Mezuki, a manlike horse materialized and grabbed the handle of the axe. he quickly knelt down and stuck the axe in the ground, signifying he was in defense mode. "Go Ha Des, strike down Il Blud, Crystal Massacre!"

Crystals whistled throught he air, piercing Il Blud's heart. he and Ha Des both turned to dust on Sosuke's field. "i'll reset my three cards and end my turn."

**Sousuke 350**

"I should have expected as much." Sousuke reached for his next card. But you're forgetting something."

"What would that be?"

"Zombies are weak against piercing. I release my two cards to summon Petrific Magus!" (2500/2100) "He inflicts piercing damage!"

"So, he can only inflict 1700 damage, thus leaving me with 800 Life Points and giving me enough time to attack him with Ha Des and inflict 250 points of damage."

"That's leave me with 100 left if you failed to draw a card. but it doesn't matter. I remove from play one Spellcaster in my graveyard to activate his effect!" Petrific Mage was a large man in a gray coat. he pointed his staff at Mezukji and it slowly turned to stone, his defense ironically dropping because of it. (1700/0) "Attack Mezuki."

He prayed that Kaz's face down's were harmless.

"Sosuke, good job calling my bluff." Kaz clapped as his stone monster crumbled.

**Kaz 0**

Sousuke fell to his knees, exhausted.** "**That, was, fun," his vision faltered as shaped blurred and clarified, sharpened and vanished."

"You okay?" Kaz asked worriedly.

* * *

**I told him I was, and I immediately ran to the next appointed station to meet my next opponent. Finally, a stranger. That** **meant I had no idea what kind of deck he would use, and I couldn't fine tune it. All I knew was that his name was Haley.**

**

* * *

**"So" began Sousuke's young opponent. He pushed thin wire frame glasses up his nose as he tried to scrutinize Sousuke. "Looks like you use Spellcaster decks as well. Let us see which of us is the better master of magicians."

"How can you tell that I use a Spellcaster deck?" Sousuke asked.

"It's obvious. I can tell by looking at you that you have a magical aura surrounding you, but it isn't your own. It's radiating from your deck." Haley's Duel Disk snapped together with a lively series of clangs. His Life Points hummed upward as they approached 4000. "So, you may take the first move if you wish."

Nodding in agreement, Haley drew six cards and spread them out with his thumb. "I summon Royal magic Library in defense mode." (0/2000) A shelf of books rose on the field and reached toward the sky. "Whenever a spell is activated, he gets a Spell COunter. He can get a max of three, and when he does, I can remove them all to draw a card!"

"A level four. I do believe that he can be tuned with your Level 2 Night's End Sorcerer to Synchro Summon your precious Explosive Magician!"

"How did, have you been spying on my duels?"

"Please, as if I have enough time to spy on other contestants. Hurry and complete your move so I can end this."

"I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" White blades fell from the sky, trapping Haley in a circle. "Now you can't attack for three turns and my monster gains a Spell Counter. Then I'll set two cards and end my turn."

Haley drew his card and let out a yawn of boredom. "How did someone like you make it this far?" he teased. "You're talentless. I activate Terpsichore's Lyre, discarding a spell from my hand to Synchro Summon a monster. So I tune my Level 1 Effect Veiler with my Level 5 Magical Marionette. In addition, this gives your monster a Spellcounter."

"Go head, just one more and I can draw a card."

"Howling winds knock down all that stand in your way. Break down all barricades. Your emotions become a squall none can withstand. Synchro Shokan, furious storm, Tempest Magician!" (2200/1400) A blue haired magician appeared on the field and pointed a scythe at Sousuke. She had beautiful blue clothes fit for royalty. "When Synchro Summoned, she gets a Spellcounter! "Next, I activate Brain COntrol so i can steal your Royal Magic Library and give it a Spellcounter!"

Sousuke gulped as his only monster switched alliances. Haley would be able to use its effect and draw a card! Then, if it was a spell removal, Swords of revealing light would vanish and he'd take 2200 of direct damage from Tempest Magician.

"This does, however, cost 800 Life Points!"

**Haley 3200**

The boy with glasses laughed as he looked at his last card. "I discard Maho Synchron from my hand. See, I can discard him during a turn in which I discarded a Spell as the cost to activate a card. I can add that spell from my graveyard to my hand, so I take back the Raising Heart I discarded. Next, i remove three counters from your Library to draw a new card." he grinned as his Duel Disk presented him with a new card. "I'll next use Raising Heart. Every card that can accumulate Spellcounters will now gain a Spellcounter for each Spellcaster on the field, and that's two! So because it's a spell, Library gets three more and my precious Tempest Magician gets two more, bringing my total number of Spellcounters up to six. I better hurry and use them, though, cause once my turn ends, Raising Heart destroys all monsters who benefit from it."

Haley slipped his last card into the graveyard. "Now, this card isn't a Spellcaster, but I like it in my deck anyway. By getting rid of one Thunder Dragon in my hand, I can grab two from my deck. Now I'll use Tempest magician's effect to discard them both so my Magician can gain two new Spellcounters!" A fierce wind began to howl as it encircled the duel arena. "By removing all Spellcounters on the field, Tempest magician inflicts 500 damage for each! I have eight of them, so that's 4000 damage!"

**Sousuke 0**

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* * *

**

**That was my first encounter with the boy who later became known as the Maguc of the Ra Dorm.**

* * *

Ryou smiled as he drew six cards. "I summon AIDA Virus Gate Blocker in defense mode!" A translucent blob of energy materialized on the field. It's light blue body stretched thin and took the shape of large double doors, before bones began creeping up around the edges, forming two skeletons that held the door shut. (0/0) "Now all monsters gain 1000 defense!" (0/1000) "I'll set a card and let you make your move!"

"Big mistake," Sousuke growled. "I summon Maiden Macabre." (17000) A beautiful woman with light blue skin dropped down from above, swinging a sycthe around. Her elegant feudal clothing gave her a mystic aura that entranced Ryou for a few moments before he reclaimed his composure. "Attack, Macabre Dance!" The monster spun forth, but Ryou merely activated his trap.

"I activate Klein's Labrynth, switching your monster's attack and defense!" (0/1700) "In addition, when attacked, my monster gains defense equal to the attacker's," (0/2700) Gate Blocker fended off the attack quite easily. Macabre's scythe rebounded off the virus and slipped from her hands, whirling through the air and slicing Sousuke.

**Sousuke 1300**

"Shit," Sousuke complained. "2700 damage and he hasn't even attacked yet." He grabbed three cards. "I'll set these and end my turn!" His monster's stats normalized.

Ryou drew his next card and smiled. "I summon AIDA Vrisu Dark Mia!" He announced as a black cat appeared on his field. (200/200) She counts as a Machine, a Beast, and a Plant! And I'll use Double Summon to bring out Woodrot!" (2100/0) The eery monster grew onto the field. Next I'll tune my Mia to both these monsters to bring out Gorre 1 and 2."

"What?"

"Within the shadows the two make their plans. Dark machinations contrive the downfall of the damned. Twin Synchro Shokan, the Machinator, Gorre!" Mia burst into a ring of lights and surrounded the duo, allowing them to offer themselves to herald forth two new monsters. They both looked like giant stones with faces. One had a blue jewel, the other had a yellow. Other than that they were identical. (2300/0) "Since they were summoned with Dark Mia, they now count as Dark Monsters instead of earth, they are now considered AIDA Viruses, and they each gain 600 attack." (2900/0)

"Be careful," Sora warned, "I've heard of those cards. They can only be Synchro Summoned together and only by using the same tuner. Their main strength lies in their defensive capabilities. one can only be destroyed by battle and one only by card effects. But the worst part is that they can protect each other. if one would be destroyed, and you haven't done anything to destroy its partner, they'll both be safe."

"So, I need to destroy one with a physical attack, but it'll still stick around, then I destroy the other with a card effect and they'll both go?"

"Yeah, but it has to be the same turn, and I can't remember which is which. you're better of returniung them to the extra deck if possible."

"Ugh, this is pointless," Sousuke sighed. "i'll just summon a monster so powerful that I can reduce Ryou's Life Points to 0."

"Go, Gorre #1, Creeping Murder!" A large yellow beam of light fired at Macabre Dancer. Sousuke didn't seem to worry too much."

"I activate magical Arm Shield, stealing your other Goree for the attack!" A small device stretched out and grabbed Goree, putting it in the way of the attack. It fired a beam of energy at the first gorre. The attacks hit, rocking the field.

"Luckily, my Gorre's are protected from being destroyed. I end my turn." Ryou watched his Synchro Monster return.

Sousuke drew card and laughed. "Okay I activate my face down Synchro Revolution! When you control two or more Synchro monsters and I control none, I can Synchro Summon a Spellcaster using two monsters in my deck. Sadly, it's effect is negated, but that's okay." A magical tunnel of light opened up. "So I send Night's End Sorcerer and Learning Elf to my grave and bring out Juliette the Sun! When Learning Elf is sent to the grave, I get to draw one new card." Sousuke smiled as he got just what he needed. "I activate Monster Reborn, bringing back my Night's End Sorcerer to tune with Macabre to bring out explosive Magician!" He watched as his two Synchro Monsters appeared on the field. "Now, since Juliette is a Synchro Tuner, I can use her to bring out my ultimate trump card. Radiantus the Miracle Knight! (3700/2500) The two Synchro Matereal monsters vanished in a tunnel of light. "Darkest despair oppresses the heart and clouds the mind. Hope fades when the sun vanishes. In the desperate hour, when the tides are against you, hold tight to the faith in yourself. When defeat is eminent, a miracle occurs. Accel Synchro, blinding light of hope, Radiantus the Miracle Knight!"

_'Accel Synchro, huh,' _Skeith laughed. _'I wasn't aware that anyone here was capable of that. Ryou, defeat him quickly, there is soemthing i wish to do with him.'_

"Attack, Surging Faith!" Radiantus' blade glew with power as he swung it forth, unleashing a stream of light against the yellow jeweled Gorre. "When Radiantus attacks, he gains 700 attack points for every monster on your field and loses 700 for every monster on mine, so that means his attack reaches 4400! or so it would if I didn't use my final face down card, Faith Spark. By summoning three Statue Token to your field in defense mode (0/2000) I can draw two cards from my deck!" Three golden angel statues filled Ryou's empty monster card zones." (6500/2500)

**Ryou 400**

"When he destroys a monster in battle, Radiantus normally loses attack equal to that monster's strentgh. But seeing as your monster wasn't destroyed..." He grabbed three cards. "I'll set these cards face down and end my turn."

Ryou simply scoffed as he drew a card. "I activate Deepest Impact! This card destroys all monsters on the field and halves our Life Points!"

"What! That, but, I've never heard of such a powerful card!"

Meteors fell from the sky, raining destruction on the field.

**Ryou 200**

**Sousuke 650**

"Next I remove from Dark Mia and Gateblocker to Special Summon AIDA Virus-Dark Tuner Ovan!**" **(2500/0) What appeared was a blue haired man with blue themed clothes straight out of an RPG. A golden device covered one of his arms, as if it were sealing something away. "Next I release all three of my monsters to bring out **C**ubia!" (2000/2000) A black haired boy appeared on the field, wielding an overly large sycthe. He had black pants decorated with white lines, and a black shirt that left his stomach exposed. "This is the power of Skeith. None of you fools can win. My deck is filled with infinite strength, ever shifting to respond to the situation. I can not possibly lose. he will not let me! Behold Cubia's effect. When he's summoned, I can send up to twelve Dark Monsters from my deck to the grave and during this turn he gains 300 attack points for each!" (5600/2000) Ryou kept smiling. "Next, I use Limiter removal, doubling the attack of all machine Type monsters I control! And since Cubia is a machine," Ryou chuckled as his monster sliced through Sousuke. (11200/2000)

The young boy let out a scream of pain that tore through the night.

* * *

Kaito frowned. "Ryou's deck isn't normal. He keeps pulling these cards out of nowhere. It's like it's evolving as the duel progresses. Is this really the power of Skeith? Is every member of the Ocotgram in possession of such a power?" He thought of Yuu and Pikachu, and he didn't like the idea of having to combat such a power.

"Yes, it is. Every single member of the Octogram is capable of doing so, though there's a cost. Luckily for us, Yuu and Pikachu aren't fond of using it, though I suspect that if Naota is placed in enough trouble, they will be."

"So how does it work?"

"The Octogram is capable of manipulating the world, making the impossible possible. It's where we get our powers from. It's why we can make cards whenever we want. Skeith's power is a stronger variant of that. it manipulates the data of existence in the cards, switching them from one thing to the next. He's switching cards in Ryou's deck as the duel progresses, based on Ryou's wishes. I'm not even sure Ryou knows what's going on, or even cares. But if he's backed into a corner, he'll just pull out something new." Ienzo flicked his hair. _'Not to say that his other cards are vanishing, they're basically being shuffled around into storage. I suspect that once Skeith is completely summoned, he'll have all his old cards plus everything Skeith made. I personally can not wait to see if he keeps using the Skeith cards.'_

"And that card, Deep Impact. it's really powerful. To think Skeith could even create something that powerful."

"Heheh, yes it is. But Skeith didn't just create it. That card is very real. It's an extremely rare card. The thing is, Skeith couldn't have made that card unless Ryou knew about it. His mother is a card designer, so perhaps she's mentioned it to him, but I still can't help but wonder..."

* * *

Sousuke fell over, causing Hiroaki and Sora to run to his side. "Sousuke, Sousuke," Hiroaki begged, "Are you alright?" He had landed face down, so Hiroaki flipped him over and put an ear to his chest. "He's not breathing."

"We have to take him to the infirmary," Sora said as he lifted Sousuke up. "You grab Fumiko." He turned to Ryou angrily. "We'll be back to finish you off."

"Sorry," Ryou smirked, "But you aren't going anywhere." A bright blue light circled around the field, creating raging flames of blue light that barred people from entering, or exiting. "Until one of you beats me, you aren't going anywhere."

"Fine," Hiroaki's guttural voice carried untold anger. "You won't win this time, Ryou."

Sora's Duel Disk activated as well. "You're dueling both of us this time."

* * *

**~To Be Continued~**

**This chapter and the next were originally written as one thing, but split into two for conveniences sake.**


	44. Ryou's Gauntlet Part 2 The Power of AIDA

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX or .hack or Power Rangers or Pokémon. Or Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha  
**

**Author's Note: An Anticlimactic End for some villains that have been around since chapter 2...it's almost sad**

**Anyway a Special Thanks to FaytSeeker, for being my newest reader. I'm not sure if you'll make it this far, but if you do, then thank you.**

**And special thanks to EmblemDuelist, for being a great reviewer.**

**This chapter and the last were originally written as one thing, but split into two for conveniences sake.**

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**~Sora~**

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**Sora's the name and Duel Monsters is my game- I guess. Duel Monsters is perhaps the only interesting thing about my life. I came from an average family. We weren't too rich, weren't too poor. I did okay in school. Played with my friends. Had a girlfriend. Had a break up. Nothing too surprising in my past.**

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* * *

**"Oh my God I'm going to be late!" Sora ran through **t**he street dodging cars. "The exams start in half an hour!" It was the day of the entrance exams to Duel Academia, and Sora had overslpet. Like many eager young duelists before him, he had been so excited the night before that he hadn't been able to get any sleep. In the end, he hadn't managed to shut his eyes until 2:30 in the morning, and he ended up getting up nearly 45 minutes later than planned. he had to skip a shower and breakfast just to make up for lost time.

Angry drivers honked as their cars screeched to a halt. "Sorry," Sora apologized sheepishly. The sun was hot, and he was already starting to sweat as he ran frantically. He could barely breathe, but he couldn't slow down for a second. "it shouldn't be much further." He turned a corner and bumped into a tall man.

"Hey, be careful kid," said the older male. He had spiky black hair and wore a black jacket over a red shirt.

Sora rubbed his sore butt after getting up from the side walk. "Hey, you, you're Manjoume-sama!Wow, what are you doing here?"

"Just relaxing before the tournament this weekend," the Pro admitted. "Judai, Edo, and Johan are all going to be there so i want to do my best."

"I, I'm sure you'll do well. Besides, you managed to defeat the legendary Seto Kaiba!" Sora was referring to a recent match between the two. it was a single duel that aired just a month ago. Kaiba had summoned three Blue eyes Ultimate Dragons to the field and taken an early lead, but with the help of Ojama King, Ojamuscle, and Ojama Country, Manjoume had been able to emerge the victor.

"I take it you're heading to the Duel Academia entrance exams."

"Yeah, but I'm going to be late if I don't hurry up," he said sheepishly.

"Well, here, take this for luck. it was made for me as a rival to Judai's Winged Kuriboh, but I have enough Ojamas in my deck. I think he'd be happier with you." Majoume handed over a card, _Winged Ojama._

_"_T-thanks!" The boy said with a bow. He looked it over, apparently it could be discarded from the hand to negate traps.

"Shouldn't you be going?"

"Right!" Sora said as he took off.

Manjoume chuckled and pulled out his cellphone. "Hey, what's your name kid?" he called out.

"Sora!"

The Pro-duelist selected a number and hit send. "Fubu-niichan, I need a favor."

* * *

"I'm here," Sora cried as he dashed through the double doors. He smiled sheepishly as the other students all turned to look at him. "Sorry."

"Oh hello there," said a woman with light bown hair that fell to her shoulders and a simple blue dress. Small glasses framed her eyes. "You must be Sora," she said with a smile. The boy nodded quietly, unsure of hos this woman knew his name. "My name is Keiko Kinomoto, I'm one of the teacher's here. You were late for your written exam, so we're not supposed to let you take a make-up, but luckily for you, it seems the Chancellor's brother-in-law asked to make a special exception for you."

"Brother-in-law?" Sora was confused for a moment, but didn't care, "thank you so much! I promise I won't let you down."

Ms. Kinomoto smiled. "Normally, entrants to the academy would begin with a written exam and then a practical skills exam, but the chancellor isn't going that easy on you. We're strapped on time so we're skipping straight to the duel. Your entry into the academy depends entirely on your performance. I know you just got here and you're probably a little nervous, but it's time to begin." She shuffled her deck and slipped it into her shiny green Duel Disk.

"Right here? Don't we get to move to a more suitable dueling arena, like, over there,' he pointed to the platform where a dozen duels were taking place. Future students were going against proctors, fighting for the chance to enter the academy.

"..."

"Shall I go first or second?" Sora asked as he drew five cards.

Kinomoto-sensei answered the question by drawing six. "I summon Harpie Lady 1 in at6tack mode," she narrated. The red headed harpy descended from above, gracing them with her presence. Her elegant green feathers pointed at Sora as she gave a sharp angry glare. (1300/1400) "She gives all Wing Monsters an extra 300 attack points. Next, I activate Rising Air Current, making all wind monsters gain 500 attack and lose 400 defense, though, seeing as your name means sky, I bet yiou have a few wind themed monsters in your deck, don't you?" (1300/1400-2100/1000)

"A few, maybe, but not all." Sora said, not sure whether to be happy he had some non-Wind cards or not. His head was starting to hurt. He was nervous and unsure of whether or not he could win in this situation. "I summon Cloudian-Turbulence!" (800/0) A whirlwind picked up on the ground and lifted into the air, gathering clouds to form a twisted image with an angry face. "He gains a Fog Counter for each Cloudian I control, so that's one." He slipped another card into his Duel Disk. "I'll set that and end my turn."

Ms. Kinomoto adjusted her glasses as she drew. "Your monster can't be destroyed in battle, am I correct? In that case, I suppose you'll save yourself 1600 Life Points this turn, But I'm afraid that things are going to start getting bad for you if you don't hurry up and do something. I summon a second Harpie Lady 1, further empowering the first!" Both Harpies shook claws as their attacks rose to 2400. They were now on par with the legendary Red Eyes Black Dragon."Feather Storm!" She ordered. The harpies let out vicious streaks as a storm of green feathes rained on the CLoudian, reducing Sora's Life Points to a paltry amount.

**Sora 800**

"I set one card and end my turn."

"I activate Cloudian Squall. Now each monster on the field accumulates a Fog Counter during each of my standby phases. Then, I'll remove the Fog Counter from my Turbulence to Special Summon a defense mode Cloudian Smoke Ball from my deck!" (200/600) A baby shaped cloud emerged from the air. "Now I'll normal summon a second Turbulence (800/200) who in turn gets three Fog Counters! I'll remove two from him to bring out two more Smoke Balls!" (200/600) "Both in defense!"He had five monsters on the field, they were all weak, but they'd all be useful for what he was about to do. "I activate United We Stand on my second Cloudian Turbulence, boosting his attack by 4000!" (4800/4000) "Attack her Harpie Lady 1!"

Turbulence formed a tornado that spun throught he air, sucking in Harpie Lady 1 and shredding her to pieces. She let out a shriek as green feathers went flying everywhere.

**Kinomoto 1600**

"I set one card and end my turn."

Kinomoto smiled as she drew. "I summon Cyber Harpie Lady in attack mode!" The cyber armored bird woman smiled as she stretched her talons at Sora. (1800/1300-2600/900) "Go, attack the weaker Turbulence." She flew forward swinging a yellow whip. It rushed through the air toward the monster, but Sora smiled.

"I activate Two-Pronged Attack, destroying my weaker Turbulence and one of my Smoke Balls to destroy your Cyber Harpie!" The three selected monsters all exploded in a blaze of light. it left the other Turbulence weakened (3200/2400) but still enough to withstand Harpie lady 1, for now.

"Harpie Lady 1, attack another Cloudian Smoke Ball!" Kinomoto's harpy sliced through the cloud with her talons, further weakening Turbulence. (2400/1600) "I end my turn."

Sora drew his card. "Each monster on the field gains a Fog Counter, bringing Turbulence up to 2. I'll use them both to revive my Smoke Balls in defense mode!" This in turn, returned some of Turbulence's power (4000/3200) "Attack Harpie Lady 1!"

"I activate Harpie Feather Shriek!" She grabbe dthe three cards in her hand and slipped them into the graveyard. "When a Harpie Lady I control is selected as an attack target, I can discard any number of cards from my hand to reduce the attacking monster's attack by 800 for each!" feathers began clinging to Turbulence, weakening his power. (1600/2400) Harpie Lady 1 fought him off by flapping her wings and sending more feathers his way.

**Sora 300**

"I activate Cloudian Bomber! By destroying every Cloudian I control, I can Special Summon 1 Cloudian from my hand. In addition, it gets 1 Fog Counter for each monster destroyed by its effect and all the Fog Counters on the destroyed monster!" A new cloud appeared on the field, a fat white thing in the shape of a giant human. (1000/0) "He gains four Counters from the destroyed Cloudians and one left over from Cloudian Squall's effect. That combined with the one on your Harpie Ladie makes six total, he gains 500 attack for each on the field!" (4000/0) "Attack Harpie Lady 1!" The monster leaned over and began blowing at the harpy. She struggled against the wind, but it was futile, she was blown away into a wall where she was shattered.

**Kinomoto 0  
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* * *

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**I managed to get into Osiris Red, but I earned the hatred of many of the other students. I got in because someone asked for a favor.**

* * *

Osiris Red Sora walked under the sunny sky. He had just gotten out of math class, and was on his way to PE. It was his favorite non dueling class. "Hah, I can't wait for my rematch with Ross." The two had been engaged in a lively game of one-on-one basketball yesterday, and it had ended with Ross the victor. Sora wanted the chance to show off his skills, and more importantly, the game had been fun. Ross was pretty athletic and made an excellent opponent. Sora looked up, surprised to see someone glaring angrily at him. "Is something wrong." It wasn't really a question.

"You're lucky, you know that," said the Obelisk blue. Sora recognized him as Akira, He had built up a decent reputation as a duelist at his old prep school. And it had carried over to the academy. During the entrance exams, he had managed to convince Mrs. Kino to use her real deck, and then he managed to win without taking a single point of damage. Other students hailed him as the next Jun Manjoume. He gave a low growl as he stared at Sora without blinking.

"I know, but, is that bad?" Sora crossed his arms and taped his feet. He returned the peeved look with his own glare of contempt as he hummed a little ditty to himself. "Leave me alone or unless you want me to unleash the perfect storm all over your ass."

"You think you're so great. You wouldn't have gotten in if it wasn't for the Chancellor's brother stepping in to save your ass. Tons of students actually worked hard studying for the exams, and you just waltzed in like it was nothing."

"Hey, I still did the practical exam didn't I? I kicked the teacher's butt."

"She probably went easy on you because they wanted to get in. Most of us had to study for our tests!" Akira knew better than this. Kinomoto had _not _gone easy on Sora at all. He had seen the duel, and she had used the Proctor Deck to its fullest power. He knew this, because he himself had gone up against her minutes earlier, and she promptly handed him his ass with a powerful combo. Long story short, she had waited until he attacked and then used Collected Power to steal his United we Stand and Mage Power, drastically weakening his monster while granting nearly limitless strength to her Harpie Lady Sisters. It was a decisive blow that ended the duel before it had proceeded past turn three.

His score on the written test was average, just enough to make up for his defeat. But this would only be enough to get him into Osiris Red. He wasn't actually a bad duelist, he had just had an unlucky duel that day. Sure his text book knowledge was lacking, but the same applied even to certain famous pros such as Judai. The poor boy didn';t want to be stuck in the lowest dorm, so in the end, Akira's family had to call in a few favors with some of the academy's sponsors. Thanks to their influence, Akira was bumped to a higher dorm.

The Obelisk Blue's anger was geared toward Sora mainly as a way to vent frustration. He was bullying the Osiris Red as a way to inflate his own ego. he didn't want to be the bottom most loser of the school, so he tried to force someone else into that position. Sora wasn't going to take it, however. "Listen," said the Osiris Red, "I have to get to class. If you want to antagonize me that much then meet me outside the gym once class is over. We'll duel. If you win, I'll drop out, but if I win, then you have to, ummm, runaround the campus in your underwear tomorrow night."

"I, that's ridiculous," Akira bit his lip.

"I guess you're afraid to lose," Sora went for the classic taunt, knowing that they were often the most effective.

"Fine, I'll duel you as soon as class gets out!"

Ring! The bell sounded, signifying the boys were late. "Looks like we better get going." Sora stated. He jogged off, hoping he wouldn't get into too much trouble.

In the end, the teacher punished him by making him run three extra laps around the field. He finished early enough to join the other boys for a round of basketball. This time, however, it was in teams rather than one-on-one. It was shirts vs skins, and he ended up the captain of shirts while Ross was the captain of the opposing team. Both teams did well, and Sora even managed to outscore many of the other boys despite being the only first year in the class. IOn the end, Ross lead his team to victory, but Sora graciously admitted defeat.

In the showers, the two boys began talking. "So why were you late?" Ross asked.

"That kid Akira was bugging me 'cause I gotspecial treatment from the chancellor's brother in law. I don't even know who the hell the chancellor's brother-in-law is!"

"You're kidding right? Jun Manjoume! The legendary duelist! He's won as many duels with Judai as he's lost. He even managed to defeat Edo, Johan, and even Seto Kaiba on seperate occasions, even if that last one seemed to be a bit of lucky. Hell, he even dueled Rebecca to a draw!"

"Wait, he's the chancellor's brother-in-law. You mean our chancellor is the _Fubuking?"_

_"_Yeah. You didn't know?" Ross began massaging the shampoo into his hair.

_"_I had no clue. That's kind of cool._" _Sora said as he began scrubbing his arm. "Anyway, i challenged Akira to a duel. if he wins, I have to drop out. If I win, he has to run around the campus in his underwear."

"Niiiiice."

'You're not going to tell me that it's a bad idea?"

"Hell no, it's your decision. You're a man, you can take care of yourself. Besides, I'm sure you can beat an idiot like Akira."

"Thanks Ross."

The two rinsed off and got dressed. They smiled as the bell rang and they got out of the gym. Akira was already waited, his Duel Disk at the ready. "I snuck out of class early." he stated. That had been the last class of the day, so the two had all the time in the world, but it seemed that Akira didn't want to wait that long.

"Okay, fine," Sora stated as he drew six cards. "I'll begin with Cloudian Squall, meaning all our monsters gain a Fog Counter during my standby phases. Next I'll set one card in defense mode and end my turn."

"You won't get anywhere with that kind of opening move. I summon Goblin Attack Force in attack mode (2300/0) and equip it with fairy Meteor Crush. I then throw one card face down and attack your face down!" Thee goblins charged forward, smashing the face down with their clubs.

"You destroyed Cloudian Sheep Cloud (0/0) So I get to summon two Cloudian Tokens in defense mode! Then your GAF switches to defense as well." (0/0) Two clouds appeared on his field. "Now I draw and each monster gains a Fog Counter!"

**Sora 1700**

"I summon Cloudian Ghost Fog in attack mode." (0/0) A fiendish cloud creature made its whispy presence known. it seemed to moan like a howling wind**. **"Your move."

Akira drew and smiled."You really are pathetic aren't you. I offer my monster to bring out Summoned Skull!" (2500/2100) "Go, Demonic Thunder Roar!" The living skeleton charged an electirc pulse between his bony fingers, the purple muscles in his body pulsed with power, with a mighty roar, he fired a ball of electricity at the Cloudian Ghost Fog, destroying it.

**Sora 1700**

"I take no damage from battles involving Ghost Fog. Now, thanks to his effect, I get to put new counters on the field equal to your monster's level, and that's six. So I'll pile them all on your monster."

"Your turn."

Sora was hoping for Nimbusman, knowing it'd have a massive power boost if he could get it on the field."I draw, and all monsters gain a Fog Counter." He smiled. "I remove from play my Ghost Fog to Special Summon Cloudian Storm Dragon!" (1000/0) A mighty dragon appeared on the field. "I use his effect to place one Fog Counter on your Summoned Skull. Now it has eight counters. I activate Diamon Dust Cycylone on your Summoned SKull!" The monster slowly froze over before shattering into beautiful ice crystals that sparkled in the sunlight. "I can destroy one monster with four or more Fog Counters and draw a Fog Counter for every four counters on it," he gained two new cards. "Now I normal summon Turbulence, who gets four new counters!" (800/0) He was about to activate his favorite Equip Spell, it was a key part of his strategy. "I remove one Smoke Ball in defense mode." (200/600) "Next I equip my dear Storm Dragon with United We Stand, boosting his attack by 4000 points. Direct attack!"

"I activate Mirror Force, destroying all attack mode monsters you control."

"Not so fast, by discarding Winged Ojama from my hand, I can negate the activation of your trap card and set it back down on your field!"

The familiar Holy Barrier rose up, only to be shut down by a white Ojama creature with angelic wings and a halo.

"N-no!"

**Akira 0**

* * *

**Ross and I used to be pretty close when the year began, but we really haven't spoken much since then. He's too busy with that stupid play and with trying to impress Hikaru Reinhardt. I honestly hope they both die together. **

**

* * *

**Sora smiled as he got dressed in his new Ra Yellow uniform. He had passed his promotion exam with flying colors, managing to defeat a Ra Yellow student going by the nickname of Amber the Maniac. It was a close duel, but he managed to reverse things in the last turn, earning the right to ascend up a dorm. He even earned the cheers of some of the other students. It had been a highly anticipated duel, after all, he and Amber had both been building up small reputations. Amber had nearly managed to defeat Ryou, and he had played Akira like a fool.

He quickly earned the respect of his peers, proving that he did indeed belong in the academy. Like a rising star, he shot through the ranks, earning the attention of many students who wanted to duel him. He even beat Daisuke, who seemed to be another rising star. Indeed, there were many rising stars in the academy this year, and everyone was excited. In fact, attention from the Pro Leagues had increased 48% since the last year. It seemed that every where you looked you could find raw talent and potential.

His skills were so impressive, that even the island's Kaiser sought him out. The Kaiser was the top third year student in every year, and obviously one of the best. It seemed that no matter how good everyone was, the Kaiser was always light-years ahead of them. Maxwell, this year's Kaiser, was rumored to be one of the greatest since the days of Judai and Ryo Marufuji. Maxwell Young was a man of British and CHinese ancestry with messy black hair and a friendly smile. Everything about him seemed warm and open, unlike many of the Kasiers in the past. he had stunning blue eyes that sparkled like sapphires**.**

He had asked Sora to meet him for a duel, so here he was, standing under the starry sky. it was nearly curfew, so they didn't have too long to duel. "Sorry I'm late," the Ra Yellow student apologized.

"That's okay, I'm fully aware of your reputation." Maxwell joked. "So, would you like the first move?"

Sora drew six cards and grinned. "Here we go, I activate three Cloudian Squalls from my hand. Now whenever my turns comes around, all monsters on the field will accumulate three Fog Counters." He looked over his hand. He already had Nimbusman. He just needed to swarm the field and accumulate some counters, then the game would be over. "Don't think that your title means anything in a duel, Kaiser. I've got one of the most powerful decks on the island."

"Don't worry, I wasn't ever operating under the impression my title meant anything in a real duel." The Kaiser stated. "I take all duels seriously. I warn you though, don't take it too lightly, as I did do some work to earn it."

Sora smiled. "I set one card face down and summon Cloudian Altus!" (1300/0) he anbnounced as a fat cloud formed on his field. "Your move, Kaiser."

"First," announced the Kaiser as he drew a card, I use Spellbooks Inside the Pot so we both draw three cards." The two Duel Disk spat out a trio of card for their owners. "Then I use Pot of Greed to draw two cards." The Kaiser grinned when he grabbed his second card from the latest draw. He then reached for one of the first cards he had drawn. "I summon D.D Warrior in attack mode!" (1200/100)

"I activate Spirit Barrier," Sora announced. "Now as long as I control a monster, i take no battle damage, so go ahead and power up D.D. Warrior all you want."

"You aren't very familial with his effect are you?" Maxwell grinned. "Surprising, considering he's considered pretty well known. Attack, Dimension Slash." The orange haired warrior ran forward, slashing at the cloud.

"Shit, don't tell me his effect is going to get rid of my CLoudian."

"Yep, after damage calculation D.D. Warrior and his battle partner are both removed from play." Maxwell laughed joyously as the two monsters vanished into a distortion in the sky. It wasn't a mocking laugh, rather, it was the laughter of one having fun.

**Maxwell 3900**

"When I take Battle Damage, I can Special Summon Tragoedia from my hand," he announced as his fierce looking monster appeared. (?/?) His entire body was covered in sharp looking protrusions, and his teeth were sharp and pointed. "His attack and defense are both 600 times the number of cards in my hand," (4200/4200) "Go, Tragodeia, attack directly!"

Sora couldn't even see the attack, it hit him that quickly,"

**Sora 0**

* * *

**That duel was...simply put, really emotionally tormenting for me. Here I thought that I was some big shot, but I was still nothing compared to the best. I admit I was getting a bit cocky, and maybe I deserved to be taken down a peg. But that was...beyond defeat. That was being curbstomped by a kaiju. It was an OTK.**

**

* * *

**Sora spent the next few days stunned. He had lost so easily. Was the difference in power that great? He imagined that he'd be able to do well enough, maybe even win, but the Kaiser had taken him out like he was a joke. Everywhere he went, he could only fret. He could barely pay attention in class, but he got his work done in an almost mechanical fashion. He was like a robot that way. He didn't participate in any recreational duels, but he still won any duels the school threw at him. He defeated a boy name Shouhei quite easily, not even taking a single point of damage.

This went on for a few monotonous weeks with no change. He went through all the motions but showed none of the emotions. A few of the teachers took notice and tried to speak to him, but he brushed them off. He didn't want to talk to anyone. he barely even spoke to Ross when they had P.E. together, and he didn't even show as much interest in that. One day, while in the shower, they began conversing again. The other boys had already finished, and they were taking their time, giving them some privacy.

"Is something wrong, dude?" Ross asked as he scrubbed his armpits. "You haven't seemed like yourself lately."

"It's nothing."

"I kicked your ass in basketball today, I know you can do better than that."

"I'm just having an off day."

"It seems like more than that."

"Look, I'm fine, don't worry about it?"

"You've been acting this way since you lost to the Kaiser, don't tell me you're actually letting it get you down."

"I, I don't know," Sora admitted. "Back home, all my friends were great at something.I had a friend who was an excellent musician, he formed a band. They're actually doing pretty well for a bunch of high schoolers. My one friend is an excellent soccer player, he's already earned the interest of several college who are already trying to recruit him. I know this girl who's an excellent artist, she made it into a prestigious art school. They all had amazing talents. And I was, I was the duelist. Whenever we played, I could easily outmaneuver them. I, I want to be special like them dammit. They're all succeeding at what they excel at, and I'm failing, I'm just average."

A female voice interrupted them. "Oh quit whining."

"Ack, what are you doing in here?" Sora fell over, holding tightly to his towel.

"Umm, this is the boys' locker room," Ross stated, "you shouldn't be here." He was glad that he was wearing a towel. Not that being naked around a girl would have embarrassed him _too _much.

"Well, Ross seems to be happy to see me here," she said, pointing to the muscular boy. "Plus, two cute guys wearing nothing but towels, I don't see why I shouldn't be here, I actually rather like it." She had feathery blonde hair that fell to her shoulders and unusual pink eyes. Instead of a normal school uniform, she was wearing a white T-shirt and black cotton shorts that looked shorter than the standard gym uniform most girls had to wear. She stepped into the shower, letting the water soak her clothes. She leaned over, smiling at Sora. "You're pretty cute when flustered, you know that Sora-kun."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Hazel," she told him. Sora had fallen out of the shower stream, but he could feel the water dripping off Hazel's bangs landing on his face. "Meet me outside when you're done showering," she told him. She walked back out of the shower and stripped to her bra and underwear, giving Ross a bit of a nosebleed. "Enjoy the view?" Sora was looking the other way. She dried herself off with an extra towel she had brought, changed into some extra clothes, and stuffed her wet ones into a small pink bag she had with her.

"Shae's hot," Ross stated.

"I guess."

* * *

Ross and Sora both exited the building tomorrow, and they found Hazel standing there waiting for Sora. "Hey, come on," she said as she grabbed Sora by the hand. "Sory Ross, you're cute and all, but I need Sora for something."

"Have fun you two," Ross joked.

"Where are you taking me."

"Come on, I want to duel you, but I don't want Ross to see." She lead Sora to the forest, they ran between some trees until they found a small clearing.

"Wait, why don't you want Ross to see?"

"Because I want to tell you the truth about the world and I don't want him to hear." Hazel activted her Duel Disk and drew five cards before Sora could object.

"The truth of the world?" Sora asked as he drew six cards. Guess I'll go first," he mumbled. "I activate Double Summon so that I may perform two summons in one turn. I summon Cloudian Turbulence (800/0) and he gets a Fog Counter. I'll remove that counter to Special Summon Cloudian Eye of the Typhoon!" (3000/1000) A large cloud with a single cyclopean eye appeared. Its stare could send chills down the spines of most.

Hazel simply drew her next card. "I'll set two cards in my spell trap zone and summon Almond Atash in defense mode." (0/0) A small seed landed on her field, taking root and growing into a small green tree that danced in the wind. "your turn."

Sora drew and smiled. "I'll summon Cloudian Altus!" (1300/0) A fat cloud took the stage and let out a belly shaking laugh. "Go, Typhoon, attack her monster!" Sora smiled as the tree danced, shifting into a more offensive position. "When Typhoon attacks, all Non-Cloudians switch battle positions. So your 0 attackl points monster is now in attack mode."

"Which is what I want, since her effect only activates if she's destroyed in battle while in attack position. But, to ease the damage, I activate Enchanted Javelin, giving me Life Points equal to your monster's attack."

**Hazel 4000**

Atash was smashed, and pollen flew through the air, gathering on Sora's field. It formed a new tree, resting there peacefully. Sora was puzzled, until Hazel tossed Atash over. "This card occupies a Spell Trap slot as a Continuous Trap card, limiting the number of spells and traps you can use."

"Sounds dangerous," Sora stated as he placed Atash face up in his spell and trap zone. "Now, go, Altus, direct attack."

"I activate Mirror Force, destroying both your monsters!" Hazel danced around in place. "Wheee, your monsters are gone."

"I set one card and end my turn." Sora announced. Hazel drew and laughed. "I'll bring out Almond Blintz (1700/900)" A new tree appeared on her field, this one bearing more almonds than the last. "When I bring her out I can set a spell or trap from my deck in your zone." She tossed a card over and shuffled her deck. Sora eyed it nervously, _it was Gift Card,_ but before he could set it, Hazel was already playing a new card. "Since you control at least three Spells or Traps I can Special Summon Almond Kathar!" (2200/100) Thei card had bigger branches but less almond. "And I activate Bait Doll on Gift card."

Sora hadn't even finished placing the trap card when Hazel's spell forced its activation. "This forces your card to work, giving me 3000 Life Points, and then shuffles itself into my deck!" A shower of sparkles rained on Hazel, boosting her Life.

**Hazel 7000**

"Shouldn't you have used it on my other card? Sure, this way gives you more Life Points, but shouldn't you be on the offensive?"

**"**I activate Almond Cyanide. This Continuous Spell prevents you from activating any face downs as long as the number of Almonds I control exceeds the number of monsters on your field. Now, go, attack directly, Bittersweet Symphony of Death!" The card's branches shot forward and clawed at Sora.

**Sora 100**

"Your move."

**"**I draw," the boy said shakily. He finally smiled. "I activate Pot of Greed, drawing two cards." He gained new cards in his hand and smiled even more. "I activate Polymerization, fusing Winged Ojama with a Cloudian in my hand to summon Ojama Cloudian!**"**

"I've never heard of that card."

"It can only be summoned by fusing Winged Ojama with any Cloudian!" Sora stated as his favorite Ojama flew down on a white cloud. (0/2000) "By sending one trap on my field to the grave, I can switch his attack and defense until the end of the turn." (2000/0) "So I pick Almond Atash. Now go, Ojama Cloudian**, **attack Almond Blintz!" The Ojama flew forward, smashing the tree to bits with his bare fists.

**Hazel 6700**

"Well, looks like you managed to inflict some damage."

"Now its other effect activated, inflicting damage to you equal to your monster's defense, then it switched to defense mode."

**Hazel 5800**

"You still have only 100 Life Points left, you can't use face downs, and my monster has enough attack to break through Ojama's defense." Hazel explained. "I draw." She giggled. "This is the part where you lose. I remove from play every Almond on my field and in my graveyard to Special Summon Almond Angel." (0/0) A beautiful almond haired angel landed in front of her and smiled. "Your move."

Sora drew and frowned. "You're waiting for me to attack your card so you can activate an effect, aren't you?" He smiled. "That won't happen. I normal summon Cirrostratus, who gets two Fog Counters!" (900/0) The small chubby cloud with whiskers smiled as it entered play. "I'll remove those counters to destroy ALmond Angel." The Angel exploded brilliantly, showering the field in seeds and leaves. Hazel only smiled.

"She's immune to my own effects, so I can't activate her effect which is only triggered when she's destroyed outside of battle. Now, for each card removed from play by her summoning, you take 300 damage and I gain as many Life Points." Translucent images of Almond Atash, Blintz, and Kathar appeared behind Hazel. "It isn't much, but it's enough to wipe you out."

**Sora 0  
Hazel 6700**

Sora grunted as his Life Points vanished and the holograms went away. "Your deck, it's,"

"Nothing. A lot of luck." Hazel beamed brightly as she leaned over and whispered in Sora's ear. "You'll never be able to do what you want that way. Join me, join us, the Organization can make your dreams come true."

* * *

**And the rest was history.**

**

* * *

**If Judai or his friends had been around, they might have drawn parallels between **t**he Organization's strategy and the Society of Light's. After all, they went around promising power to their members, bending them to their will, altering their personality. The main problem here was that their actions were a bit more dangerous.

Sora and Hiroaki growled at Ryou. "Time for the game to begin!"

* * *

**~Hiroaki~  
**

**

* * *

**

**My story? it isn't like the others. I don't have some Freudian excuse for being here. I didn't have some tragic breakdown. I know I'm not the best, but I'm okay with that. I still rock, I know I do. Why am I a part of the Organization? My reasons are a bit stupid, but I don't care.  
**

**

* * *

**Hazel and Hiroaki sat beneath a starry night sky. The pale moon's glow bathed the garden in a beautiful light. "Hiroaki," the girl started, "I'm nervous."

"What's wrong?" He asked his best friend.

"I lost a duel today, against an Osiris Red named Takuya. I couldn't even inflict a single point of damage. I thought this was going to be easy, but he beat me badly."

"Don't worry about it, everyone loses once in awhile. Not even Yugi has a perfect record. He lost to Sho Marafuji once, remember?"

"I know, but, they're both Pros. I'm an Obelisk Blue, he's an Osiris Red, I'm supposed to be better than him. And don't you dare bring up that loser Judai." Hazel sighed. "This guy named Manchester, he told me that if I join him and his friends we could improve our skills exponentially. He said we could be great together."

"Him and his friends?"

"Yeah, they're forming an Organization of students who want to surpass their limits. I want to join but I'm scared."

"If, if you want to join, then I'll join with you."

* * *

**Call me shallow, but I'm in the Organization because of a girl.**

**

* * *

**Ryou laughed. "You two don't stand a chance. Here;s how we roll, I go first, then Sora, then Hiroaki, and nobody attacks on the first turn."

He drew six cards and smiled. "I summon Aida Virus-Breakdown!" (0/0) Small blue bubbles gathered on his field, dancing like a malicious clown ready to tear out someone's throat. "I now wish to pick up the top card of Sora's deck. If it is a monster, I equip it to Breakdown. If not, it is removed from play. Sora tossed his card over, it was Eye of the Typhoon. Aida Virus Breakdown took the cloud's shape. "Now, during your standby phases, if you control a monster with less attack then the equipped monster, you take 700 damage." He looked at one of the cards ion his hand. It had the color of a trap card, but no picture. "Next, I'll set one card and end my turn." he placed it in his Duel Disk.

Sora drew his card. "Okay, I activate Summon Cloud, once per turn I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Cloudian monster from my hand if I control no other monsters. So I summon Cloudian- Stormer!" (0/0) "Next I normal summon a second Cloudian Stormer." (0/0) two black storm clouds appeared before merging into the shape of a dragon. "By removing two Cloudians from play I can Special Summon Blue Eyes Cloudian Dragon from my hand!" (3000/2500) "Now, since a Cloudian Stormer I control was removed from play, I can inflict 300 damage to you whenever a Cloudian joins my team! And that's for each Stormer!"

**Ryou 7400**

"DRAW!" Hiroaki roared. "I summon Magnetic Knight and set two monsters!" (1600/1500) The familiar knight appeared. "Remmeber his effect. Now your monster has to attack."

Ryou smiled as he drew. "I activate Graceful Charity, drawing three cards and discarding two. Now I'll remove from play the two AIDA monsters I just discarded to Special Summon Aida Virus-Dark Tuner Ovan!" (0/0) The blue haired man smirked. He had regal looking blue clothes and golden sunglasses. His left arm was encased in a golden contraption. "Now I'll summon a Level 2 monster, like Abyss Flower!" (750/400) "Now I'll Dark Tune them." Ovan split into ten dark stars that tore into Abyss Flower, causing it to scream in pain. "As I bring forth death, now shall he bring forth my salvation. Come, rebirth. Dark Synchro Summon, the final avatar, Corbenik!" (0/0)

A giant seed appeared for a few moments, an eye on its side opened and began blinking. Roots sprouted toward the ground, twisting into muscular arms. Leaves gre into a skirt, and a stem sprouted upward, growing pink petals that formed a head. "I'll discard a dark Monster from my hand to make Magnet Knight's attack become 0." His laugh pierced the night as the poor monster found itself surrounded by a dark aura that sapped all its strength. (0/0) 'Now my monster attacks, and since my monster can't be destroyed in battle, only yours will."

"I activate Mirror Force," Hiroaki announced. "Your monster is destroyed."

"Go, Trap Jammer, this card negates your trap!"

Mirror Force appeared but shattered, much like a fragile mirror. Hiroaki's monster was destroyed, and Ryou smiled. "When Corbenik battles a monster, I choose a Dark Monster in my graveyard and gain Life Points equal to its attack. And I don't even have to remove it from play! My Life Points will only climb higher whenever it attacks or is attacked!"

**Ryou 9500**

"I'll set another card," he announced as he placed a second blank trap on the field.

Sora drew his next card. "I discard a Cloudian from my hand, allowing Cloudian Dragon's effect to activate, it destroys one monster you control and then he gains 2 Fog Counters. he has to forfeit his attack, but it will be worth it to rid us of your Dark Synchro monster!" Just like that, Corbenik was gone. Blue Eyes Cloudian Dragon hit it with a beam of light that tore straight through it.

"You fool. you activate his effect, cutting your Life Points in half!"

**Sora 2000**

The Ra Yellow student growled. "His entire deck is broken. How the hell can we defeat him? I mean, Corbenik heals him if we let it live, and then we kill it and lose half our life points!"

"Faith and trust in our decks," Hiroaki said with a nod. "We worked hard to build these decks, they weren't just given to us by some mysterious being."

"Oh shut up," Ryou stated, bored. "I activate Ring of Destruction on your CLoudian Dragon, avenging Skeith, destroying your dragon, and inflicting 3000 damage to both of us."

**Ryou: 6500  
Sora 0**

"Sora?" Hiroaki drew his card as he watched his partner fall over in pain. The explosion had gotten to him. "I summon Goblin Elite Attack Force**!" (2200/1500) **"Go, Marauding Assault"

"Ah yes, use a monster that you think will protect you next turn. Anyway, my monster scarifices the Typhgoon to save itself!" The Goblins crashed through the AIDA Virus, causing it to take its original form once more. They returned to their side of the field and assumed defense position.

**Ryou 3300**

"Now I activate my face down Goblin Attack Charge., When a Goblin monster I control is switched to defense mode, I can release it to summon a higher level Goblin monster from my hand. So out comes Goblin Insane Attack Force!" (3100/0) "Go, attack!" Three goblins dressed in black spiked armor all rushed forward, swinging their clubs at AIDA Virus Breakdown. Ryou let out a grunt of pain as his Life Points took a drastic hit.

**Ryou 100**

"You grew overconfident. You should have placed that thing in defense mode." Hiroaki stated as his monsters switched to defense. "Now my traps negative effect kicks in and I take 1500 damage, but I say it was worth it to deal such a blow to you."

Ryou drew his card and closed his eyes. It was green like a spell card but had no picture. "You honestly believe I care about such a pitiful attack?" He presented the blank spell card, which now had a picture. "I activate Misfortune, inflicting damage to you equal to half the attack of a monster you control."

**Hiroaki 900**

He looked at his other card, a similar blank spell. "I use Card if sanctity so we both draw until we have six cards." He looked at all the new cards he drew. Most of them were blank. "Now to end this. I activate Monster reborn, reviving Corbenik." (0/0) "And I discard a Dark Monster to reduce your monsters stats to 0. Next, I activate Stop Defense, forcing it into attack mode. Go Corbenik attack!" Corbenik shot a golden beam of light at the Goblins, draining away their entire existence. "Now I gain Life Points and activate my Quick Play spell card, Devil's Snare. When I destroy a monster of yours I can activate this card to steal half its original attack from your Life Points!"

**Hiroaki 0  
Ryou 3800**

* * *

And with that, Ryou had wiped out all his enemies. "You fools aren't worth my time," He held up a single card. "Destiny Rose Dragon," he commanded. The Synchro Monster appeared before him, ready to obey any order. "Kill them."

"You are practically no longer yourself." Skeith said audibly.

"I know, I think I'll start calling myself Haseo."

The dragon's tentacles lashed forward, piercing Sousuke's body first. "No, what are you doing?" Hiroaki gasped. Blood spilled forth as the vines went straight through, leaving a series of large holes in the boy's body.

Sora rushed to Fumiko's side, "hurry up, we have to get out of here," he said as he helped the girl to her feet.

The tentacle vines rushed through the air, aiming themselves at a stunned Sora. Hiroaki promptly jumped in the way. "Get her out of here, Sora," the boy gasped as he felt the pain shooting through his body."

He fell to his knees, dieing.

"Wait, no," Ryou's normal personality spoke in a brief moment of dominance. He held his head in pain. "What are you doing Skeith?" The barrier around everyone died down. "Sora, Fumiko, run."

"These fools wanted to summon me," Skeith stated. "These are the consequences of bringing me into power. My host breaks. There is danger involved. This is exactly what they wished for, _Haseo_."

Tears streamed down Ryou's face as Fumiko and Sora escaped into the night.

* * *

**Author's Note: if anyone has any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. I hope these last two chapters didn't bore you too much.**

**Also, regarding Ryou, he essentially has two personalities right now, one is him, and the other is essentially Skeith's influence over him.**


	45. Ross' Power Swan Lake Princess

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or Prince of Tennis  
**

**Here we go, this chapter will be shorter than the last  
**

* * *

"It's cold," Nayuta said as she shivered in the cold wind. "I wish I brought a jacket."

"How long have we been walking?" Naota complained. His feet were aching. "I don't think I've walked this much in my life." The group of four had traveled through the hallway and exited into an open field. Flowers grew everywhere and they all smelled wonderful. Naota could swear he smelled mangoes in the air, but nobody else seemed to.

Ross grinned, "Man you are so out of shape." he knelt over. "Climb on, it's time for a piggy back ride." Despite the teasing, he knew that it would be normal to be exhausted at this point. he wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the sky was now dark and filled with stars, though he had no way of knowing if this was all part of the servant's control over the world.

Naota looked flustered. "You, you're not serious, are you?"

"Sure I am. I'm fit, I can carry you. Now hurry up and get on."

Nayuta was struggling not to laugh at the scene.

"Thanks, Ross," Naota said as he climbed onboard.

"Oomph," Ross hoisted Naota upward with only a little effort. "Once this is over, you need to start working out. We should play baseball or something."

"You sounds just like my friend Sanmaru. he's always talking about baseball. Where supposed to meet this summer and he wants me to play with him."

"Wait, Sanmaru Meatarashii?" Ross asked, stunned.

"Yeah, wait, you know him?" Naota asked.

"Not personally," Isamu answered, "but you're friends kind of famous, assuming he isn't some sort of imposter."

"Sanmaru was an international sensation before his accident. He was playing baseball at a level far above what someone his age should have been capable of. He was like the Ryoma Echizen of baseball! He was on numerous talk shows, tons of teams wanted him, he was pretty damn popular. He even had a legion of fangirls. Hell, he even starred in a few commercials for Bike. I heard they paid him pretty well too. Everyone thought he'd be going pro one day, but after the accident, his friends abandoned him. He stopped playing in any league events. Apparently he's picked up Duel Monsters and is now attending West Academy. They say he plays baseball every now and then, and according to rumors he's still as good as ever, but he's turned down any team that scouted him. He says he doesn't feel like getting betrayed ever again."

Naota nodded, he had heard half the story, but some of it was new to him. He then realized that Ross couldn't see him. "Actually, he transferred to North Academy. Apparently he kept getting into fights so they sent him to North Academy. Plus, he hates Tag Duels and there have been a lot of those at West Academy lately. Apparently they're focusing more on teamwork and friendship lately. North Academy focuses more on individual strength, and apparently, the people there are tougher. He said he got his ass kicked in a fight and ended up in the infirmary for two and a half weeks."

"They still do those Duel Gauntlets?" Nayuta asked. "I hear that your rank is determined by how many people you can defeat in a row without losing."

"Yeah, apparently he won over a hundred duels before getting his butt handed to him by a girl named Ezel. She apparently has a crush on him, but he's not interested."

"So that would make him, wait, how many students are there?" Isamu's eyes turned to Naota.

"He said he's ranked seventeenth in the entire school. Pretty impressive if you ask me." The boy responded.

Ross laughed. "You kind of sound like you have a crush on,"

"DO NOT!" Naota barked, blushing.

"Right, cause we all know that there's only one person you really love," Nayuta teased.

"Yuu Akimoto," said Ross.

"Your dear Hikaru Rei, wait, Yuu?" Nayuta asked, stunned.

"I DO NOT LIKE _EITHER OF THEM_ THAT WAY!"

* * *

"Haseo" sighed as he waited for the Duel Computer to end its turn. It was late, well past curfew, but he had gotten special permission from Ayanami-sensei to practice late. It was available to those students who really wanted to practice new techniques late into the night.

"Summoning Dark Elf in attack mode," (2000/800) said a mechanical voice as a mysterious elf appeared. "Setting three cards, turn end."

The possessed boy looked at his field. He had his Level 6 Rose Knight Mia and his AIDA Virus Dark Mia. In his extra deck were two new monsters Skeith had just made in the past hour. "I remove from play one monster in my graveyard to Special Summon Archfiend Poison Oak," he announced. "And I tune it with my Mia to Synchro Summon my Level 7 Rhodon Magician- Triantafyllo!" (2500/2100) A monster with green and red leaves for hair appeared on the field. her dress was made of rose petals, and her skin was a pale white. She carried a rose shaped staff in her hand. "She gets extra attack because of my tuner!" (3100/2100) "Now, her effect activates and I select one monster on your field and cut its attack in half!" Thorns ensnared Dark Elf, making her lose 1000 attack points. "Now, since she's a Synchro Tuner, I can tune them both!" Haseo crossed his arms and laughed.

"Dark Thorns hidden within your heart, pierce the desires of the flesh and ensnare your foes with with your sweet seductions. Accel Synchro, poisonous rose, Blossom Dragon!" The two monsters vanished into a tunnel of green light. Whooshes and whirs rang throughout the empty room. The tunnel of light vanished for a moment, leaving Haseo to wait anxiously.

"Yes, this is it, this time it'll work."

The tunnel reappeared, and out emerged Rhodon Magician and Mia. "No, this is," Haseo stomped his foot and cursed loudly.

It had been the seventh time he tried to Accel Synchro, but he kept failing. he had the necessary cards. Skeith had made them with his powers.

* * *

Ross was starting to sweat, even he was reaching his limit. "You can put me down now, if it's too much effort," Naota told him.

"I refuse to admit defeat, I can do this. Besides, it's good exercise for me."

"Better be careful dude,' Isamu chuckled, "you don't want to get a hernia."

"Very funny," Ross moaned.

Naota's eyelids drooped as he struggled to maintain focus. "I feel so sleepy. I hope we get home soon."

"I'm sleepy too," Nayuta said with a yawn. She shook her head to wake herself up a little. "So, tell me more about Yuki. Did you guys keep in touch with him?" She didn't really care too much in particular, she just wanted to make conversation to keep herself entertained, and awake.

"Well, he hooked up with Kotone for awhile and they had a kid, but they broke up," Ross explained.

"You're kidding right? A kid, at their age?" Nayuta gasped.

"I know, but it's a common problem in America. Tons of teenagers are having babies before they're even old enough to take care of themselves." Ross clicked his tongue. "That's why I always, you know what, never mind."

"Too bad they broke up, being a single parent must be tough," Nayuta tilted her head. "And poor kid."

"Yeah, I feel kind of bad for the kid," Isamu admitted. "God, I feel sleepy."

Nayuta's eyes couldn't stay open anymore. She promptly collapsed on the field. "Nayuta?" Isamu rushed to her side to check his vitals before he too fell over asleep.

"Guys, you okay?" Ross asked. "Sorry Naota, I'll have to put you down for a second," he said as he let the boy slip off his back. He quickly checked his friends vital signs, they checked out. "I know they're sleepy, but I have a feeling this is supernatural."

"Probably." Naota agreed.

"Oh it is indeed supernatural," said a new voice as a man materialized into sight. He wore a black cloak with a hood. A silver chain rested around his neck.

"It's our work. But I'm surprised you two have managed to stay awake. We planned to capture you and hold you hostage. I suppose we'll just have to beat you both in a duel." A second, more feminine voice stated. She wore a similar black cloak, only her chain was gold.

"Who are you?" Ross demanded.

"My name is Blaze." Stated the boy.

"I am Lake." Answered the girl.

"So, Blaze, Lake, which of you do I duel first?"

"Ross," Naota whispered. His body finally gave in and he collapsed, falling to the ground. Ross moved quickly, catching him before he hit the ground, and laying him down next to his friends.

The young man's face turned into a frown. "When I win, you'll undo whatever you did to them, right?"

"Of course," Blaze activated his Duel Disk. "I'll move first." He drew six cards and smiled. "I summon Solar Flare Dragon!" (1500/1000) A large fiery dragon rose on the field. "I activate Blazing Wildfire. I can choose one Fire Monster on my field and Special Summon a copy of the same monster from my deck!" He laughed as a second dragon appeared. "And I play Trinity Arrival! When I control two of the same monster, I can Special Summon a third from my deck!"

Ross stared into the monster's eyes. "They all protect each other with their effects. Then, when you end your turn, each one inflicts 500 damage to me, right? Too bad for you I have something in my hand that will make your monsters look like small fry." He felt the heat making him sweat. Large globs of perspiration rolled down his skin. He could smell himself start to stink. He needed a shower badly.

"I activate two Dark Room of Nightmares! Each one deals you 300 extra damage whenever you take effect damage from a card other than a Dark Room of Nightmares! I simply end my turn, and they'll deal more damage than you can handle."

The first dragon fired a stream of burning flames at Ross. He felt intense pain shoot through his body as the fire nearly charred his flesh. Then came the Dark Room of Nightmares. He felt metal poke, proud, and pierce his skin, even though nothing was to be seen. he fell over, screaming in pain. The process repeated as the second dragon shot a fireball at him. It exploded with a boom and knocked him into the air. he crashed into the ground, and pain shot through his arm. More pain followed as Blaze's spells each inflicted 300 points of damage. The final dragon snaked into the air and launched a volley of meteors at Ross, blasting his life points away. Then came the pain from the invisible torture devices. it was like living through a nightmare.

**Ross: 3500  
3200  
2900  
2400  
2100  
1800  
1300  
1000  
700**

3300 damage in all, burning more than half his Life Points away. Ross could barely stand though the pain, but he reached for his next card.** "**This duel will all come down to a lot of luck," he lied. In truth, he already had a plan formulated to ensure he would win. He had faith in his skill. **"**I summon Hayaku Waltz!" (1000/1000) A young man danced into play, wearing a black tuxedo. "When he's summoned we both get to Special Summon monsters from out hand with 1000 or less attack points, so i bring out Sugarplum Ballet!" (0/0) A small fairy appeared next to the man.

"This is your deck? I imagined you'd have something a bit manlier. Neverthless, hurry up and end your turn so I can win." Blaze chuckled. "And I'm foregoing the chance to summon an extra target for you."

"When she's special summoned, I get an extra Normal Summon as long as it's a Level 7 or higher monster. So I offer both Hayaku Waltz and Sugarplum to bring out Princess of the Lake of Swans!" (3000/2500) What appeared was a beautiful young woman with curly blonde hair and an elegant blue and white dress. White swan wings grew out of her back. Blaze nearly got a nosebleed from staring at her. "Now I enter my battlephase, and you declare a card type, Spell, Monster, or Trap! She can't attack unless I discard a card of that type, and you can negate the attack by discarding one of the same type. However, if you do negate her attack, she can attack again as long as I discard a new card."

"Sounds like a waste of a monster. She can't even attack anyway."

"Oh yes she can, Blaze. you see, my Princess attacks directly!"

"Well then, I select monster card!" Blaze stated.

"So I'll discard one card," Ross stated as he slipped a card away, "and let my Princess attack. Swan Song!" He watched as his princess flew forward and threw her fist at the man. It was met by a wall of air as he discarded a monster card. "Then I'll discard this!" Ross slipped his last monster card away, hoping the attack would get through. Blaze grunted as the Princess' roundhouse kick caught him in the side. "Now I'll activate a Quickplay Spell from my hand! Sebek's Blesisng grants me Life Points equal to any Direct Damage inflicted to you!"

**Ross 3700**

**Blaze 1000**

"Hah, now I'm winning," Ross stated proudly.

"You're a fool. As long as I pick a card of the type I have, you will never get in another attack in time to beat me before my monster's inflict enough effect damage to end this." Blaze drew a card. "I end my turn!" The three dragons attacked together, firing a stream of flames at Ross. he screamed in pain once more as he suffered 3300 points of damage.

**Ross 400**

"I draw!" His shaky hand reached for his next card. "This is how it will all end," he grinned. "I activate my Spell Card, Monster Reborn, thus reviving one of the monsters I discarded. So come on out Acro Dancer!" (1200/1000) A woman tumbled onto the field wearing a blue acrobatic outfit and black pants. Her brown hair was up in a bun. "She's a Tuner Monster, Level 3, so I'll tune it with my Level 8 Princess to Synchro Summon my Level 11 Razor Ballet!" The two monsters vanished, replaced by a monster with a pure white mask, black tuxedo, and razor sharp claws on his hands.** (**2900/1900) "Sure, he actually has 100 less attack than my last monster, but I can make great use of his effect. Once per turn I can present you with three monsters from my deck and you're forced to Special Summon one to your side of the field in attack mode. Then you pick one and Special Summon it to my field. Neither monster can attack as long as this card remains in play though, and they can't be released either!"

"But!"

"So here they are!" Ross presented three targets to Blaze. They were two Sugarplum Fairies and a Hayaku Waltz!"

"I'll take the Waltz! You can have one of the Fairies." Blaze groaned.

(1000/1000) (0/0)

Both monsters materialized on the field, and Hayaku gave Razor Ballet a knowing nod. He understood the sacrifice that had to be made. "First, I shuffle the remaining card back into my deck. Go, Razor Death Dance!"

Razor Ballet ran forward on the tips of his toes, slashing through Hayaku Waltz and cutting through Blaze's Life Points.

**Blaze 0**

Ross watched in stunned silence as Blaze began turning to dust. "Well, it seems you win this round. Lake, I highly suggest you let run."

The girl pulled her hood down, revealing bright crimson hair. "I'll take my friends advice and flee for the moment. But trust me, I'll be back." She waved her hand. "As for your friends, they should be fine."

And with that, she was gone.


	46. Drowning in a Sea of Darkness

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX**

**

* * *

**Ross watched as Nayuta rose to her feet. "You okay?" He asked.

"What happened?" Nayuta tried not to whimper in pain. "Great, now my arm hurts. First my ankle and now this."

"If your ankle was bothering us, why didn't you say something?" Ross asked. "Isamu is about as strong as me, so he could have carried you."

"No thanks, I don't do damsel in distress." Nayuta shook her head. "A girl needing a guy to help her out when she's in trouble is just too cliché. And besides, it's against my pride as a woman to sink so low."

"Ri~ght," Ross' face scrunched up with restrained laughter. "Some people put too much importance on gender. We let ourselves slip into this boys versus girls mentality too much. We all try to be superior. But in truth, regardless of gender, human beings need each other."

"If you're trying to get me to let my guard down around you so you can seduce me and slip into my pants, it won't work."

"Hey, relax, you're not my type." Ross said defensively.

Isamu was the next one to stir. "Ugh, what happened.?"

"I'll tell you once Naota waked up, I'm sure he'll ask the same thing," Ross said with a grin. "Look, I'm going to go ahead and scout the area for anything that looks particularly,"

"No you're not," said Nayuta. "We need to stick together. One of those guys could attack you."

"True," Ross sighed. "well we don't have time to waste," he said as he slung Naota over his shoulders. "Lets get going."

"Hmmm," Nayuta smiled, "let's head that way." She had a gut feeling, and she was going to follow it.

**

* * *

**Eirin looked up at the the tall building in front of her. It was a castle made of black metal, and it stretched high into the starlit night. "I just hope Emi's not in another castle." She pushed open the large red double doors, struggling not to give up. The doors were heavy, and her body began to ache before she had even got them to budge. "Dammit, open."

"You really are a fool," Morganna said as she approached from the distance. "Allow me,' she raised a Duel Monsters card above her head. "This world is filled with strange energy, use it to your advantage. I summon thee, Raven Blaster Zelkova!" The blue haired boy appeared mid frontflip and landed on his feet in front of Morganna. he leaned forward and dashed to the door, effortlessly cleaving through it with a single swing of his scythe.

"Wow," Hikaru came up from behind Morganna, "that was cool."

"That was common sense." She gave a coy smile. "Now, let's hurry up and get rid of these servants so we can get out of here. I missed Duel Rider Setsuna." She laughed as Zelkova vanished into a stream of sparkles.

"You like sentai shows?" Hikaru asked, surprised.

"Hell yeah, especially when the lead male is so hot." Morganna gave a chuckle.

"You know, you're a really nice person, you should hang out with us sometime," the first-year suggested.

"Not a chance. I'm only helping you because it furthers my own plans. We are not friends."

The trio walked into the doorway and took in the surrounding sights. The floor was made of black and white checkerboard tiles, and strobe lights hung from all the walls, flashing various colors all around the place. Eirin looked up and say a gigantic disco ball hanging from the ceiling. "What in the world is up with this place?"

"Oh, just a little change of scenery. Serving the forces of darkness day after day gets a little boring." Lee materialized in mid lair, hovering next to the disco ball. "Sometimes we all like to gather here and dance to Hazuki/Zer0 songs."

"Lee, you little snot nosed runt!" Eirin pointed at the young boy. "Give Emi back!"

"Snot nosed, oh don't tell me that you can't come up with anything better." Whoosh. Lee teleported to Eirin's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Can't you remember me? Remember me at all?" he ducked under Eirin's kick, her leg soared right above his head. "Missed me, missed, me, now you gotta, oof." Morganna's fist came from above, hitting his head with a thud. "Owwie, that hurt you bitch. I'm just a kid, how could you be so oww!" Hikaru kicked him in the shin and followed up by dropping her foot on his shoulder. The young boy rubbed his tender shoulder, trying to massage the pain away. "You guys are mean. Back off before I summon a bunch of monsters and kill you."

The three girls all jumped back. "So, are we supposed to duel you?" Morganna asked.

"No, we're just waiting for your friends." Lee stated. "Ah, here they come," he pointed out the door.

Eirin and Morganna kept their eyes on Lee, while Hikaru was the only one to look. "Naota, Nayuta!"

"Oh hey, thanks for noticing us," Isamu joked.

"Hikaru, Eirin!" Nayuta rushed forward. "And...oh hi Morganna," she said apprehensively.

"Relax, I'm not here to eat you."

Naota's eyes fluttered open. "Hi-hikaru, is that you?" He blushed once he realized that Ross was giving him a piggy back ride once more. "Umm, ohh, looks like I fell asleep too. Thanks for carrying me again Ross."

"Again?" Hikaru asked as Naota slipped down.

"Yeah, I was feeling exhausted so Ross gave me a piggy back ride. He's pretty strong." Naota laughed.

"Well, in that case, Ross, thank you for taking care of Naota." She leaned forward and gave the boy a kiss on the cheek, making Ross blush.

"Cute and all," Lee jumped into the air and hovered in place, "but the Child of Ravens is waiting. Emi Fujibayashi will die in a mere thirty-seven minutes if you don't hurry up and make it through the three floors of this castle. And on each floor is a Duelist, waiting to defeat you."

Lee vanished in a swirl of blue sparkles, but taking his place was a black cloaked figure. "Told you I'd be back!"

"Lake," Ross growled as he activated his Duel Disk. "Looks like it's time for me to duel you."

"As much as I'd love the irony of kicking the ass of a guy who uses a Princess of a Lake as a trump card, I reserve the right to choose my opponent. And I pick Naota!"

"Me?" The Osiris student gulped. He activated his Duel Disk. "Let the game begin," he said with a smirk of confidence. "Watashi no turn. Draw!" He giggled. "I managed to shift some cards around recently and I've been waiting to draw this. I summon Emperor Sem in defense mode!" (1300/2200) A black dog with bat wings and a smoky lower half appeared. "When I tribute summon a monster we may each select one card in our grave to add to the top of our deck!" Naota reached for two more cards and set them. "With these face downs, I think I'm ready to end my turn."

"Ore no taan! Do-ra!" Lake said half jokingly. "I discard Warrior of Atlantis to add A Legendary Ocean to my hand." her Duel Disk's side opened up, and she slipped the spell inside. "Now, activating it, I will reduce the Level of all Water Monsters in both our hands and on our fields by 1 and boost their stats by 200!" Archaic ruins rose around the duelists as holographic water filled the castle room. Naota could feel the ocean soaking his clothes, and getting his skin wet. Luckily his cards seemed undamaged, and he found he could still breathe. "Now I summon Atlantean Pikeman in attack mode!" (1400/0 - 1600/0) A green fish like creature swam into play, pointing a pike at Naota. "Now I equip him with Amulet of Ambition, meaning that if he battles a monster with a higher level, he gains 500 attack points times the difference. And I'll further power him up with Opti Camouflage Armor, making him able to attack directly! Go, Spear Shot!"

Atlantean Pikeman swam forward, becoming invisible as he moved closer to Naota. he thrust his pike forward, piercing Naota's chest. The boy let out a shriek of pain as he slowly fell to his knees. Red blood gushed out of the wound, mixing with the water, forming a red cloud.

**Naota 2400**

"Naota," Hikaru cried.

"The wounds will vanish if you win, but if you lose, or if this duel drags on long enough, they will kill you," Lake warned.

"Heh," Naota chuckled. "Why is a girl named Lake using ocean themed cards? it makes no sense." He brushed off the pain as he stood up. "Now stop trying to stall so you can win by default."

"I set one card and end my turn."

Naota drew. "Okay, I summon Gear Golem the Moving Fortress in defense mode!" (800/2200) He watched his metal soldier land on the ocean floor with a thud. "Then I'll end my turn."

"What's he doing?" Isamu wondered. "He's going to lose at this rate!"

Lake drew and merely smiled. "I summon Giga Gagagigo!" (2450/1500- 2650/1700) The metal lizard swam down and joined Atlantean Pikeman. He pointed a metal claw at Gear Golem and snarled viciously. "Pikeman attack directly!"

Ross sprung into action. Despite the water slowing him down, he intercepted the attack. the Pikeman's weapon shot through his gut, and he collapsed in pain as more blood spilled into the sea.

"Ross!" Naota cried.

"Maulding, you idiot!" Hikaru ran to the boy's side.

Naota's Life Points trickled down, for all intents and purposes, he had suffered that attack.

**Naota 800**

_"_Go, Giga Gagagigo, attack his Gear Golem!"

The reptile swam like a missile flying through the water. It's claw stretched toward the monster, but it never made it there. A blinding light appeared on the field, wiping out both Giga Gagagigo and Atlantean Pikeman. "Mirror Force, activate!" Naota swung his arm out, revealing his face down card.

_"_Tsk, I end my turn," Lake sighed.

"Why didn't he activate Mirror Force to stop the first attack?" Hikaru wondered.

Naota drew his card. "Sorry, but my counter attack begins now. I switch my monster's to attack mode and activate Shield and Sword , flipping their attack and defense!" (2200/800) (2200/1300) "Attack directly, Gear Golem, Emperor Sem!"

Lake only smiled.

* * *

Kaito's hand brushed lightly over Emi's face. "The Child of the Ravens looks almost peaceful like this," he laughed, "to think, that someone so young could carry such darkness in her heart."

"They all carry darkness in their hearts, Kaito. Every single one of them." Ienzo flipped the page of his manga.

"But hers is special. Can't you feel it? Hers transcends time. Hers is a darkness that can overcome any restraint. Within her heart is a power that can overflow the world."

"True. I suppose that is something special worth noting." Ienzo laughed silently. "After all, we would never have made it this far if it weren't for her darkness."

"Ezel," Kaito whispered, his head turned low. "Her powers were apparently a great asset back in the Great Pancosmic War."

"The Great Pancosmic War," Ienzo repeated. "It was so long ago, and yet it's consequences still tie us even today. Perhaps if things had gone differently."

"The past is the past, Ienzo, you know what happens whenever people mess with the time stream. Bad things happen."

"Don't worry, Kaito, I have no interest in something as foolish as time travel," Ienzo lied.

* * *

"Trap card activate," said the Duel Computer as it revealed its face down card to Haseo. "Nightmare Torture Wheel ensnares Rhodon Magician- Triantafyllo and prevents all attacks while inflicting 500 damage a turn."

"That matters not," Haseo responded. "I'll tune it with Mia to Accel Synchro." Both monsters vanished into a green tunnel. "Dark Thorns hidden within your heart, pierce the desires of the flesh and ensnare your foes with with your sweet seductions. Accel Synchro, poisonous rose, Blossom Dragon!" And both monsters reappeared just as they were. This was their ninth duel that night and Haseo had won them all so far. That was the twenty-third time he'd attempted to perform an Accel Synchro, and the twenty-third time he failed.

"Dark Thorns hidden within your heart, pierce the desires of the flesh and ensnare your foes with with your sweet seductions. Accel Synchro, poisonous rose, Blossom Dragon!" Again, the two vanished into a green tunnel of light only to emerge a few moments later. "Dark Thorns hidden within your heart, pierce the desires of the flesh and ensnare your foes with with your sweet seductions. Accel Synchro, poisonous rose, Blossom Dragon!"

"Dammit, why won't it work!" He threw his hands in the air out of frustration. "Dark Thorns hidden within your heart, pierce the desires of the flesh and ensnare your foes with with your sweet seductions. Accel Synchro, poisonous rose, Blossom Dragon!" Nothing. "Dark Thorns hidden within your heart, pierce the desires of the flesh and ensnare your foes with with your sweet seductions. Accel Synchro, poisonous rose, Blossom Dragon!" He thrust his fists to his side. " No matter how many times I try, I can't do it. Why can't I do it?"

"Why won't it work? Why? Why? Why? Why? WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY?"

* * *

Lake grinned. "Negate Attack!" Gear Golem and Emperor Sem met a wall of gushing water as ripples ran through the field. Naota fell over, wincing in pain. He held the bleeding injury, trying to ignore the intense agony he felt.

"I set one card and end my turn." he watched as his monster's stats flipped back to normal, they were pretty helpless now. It'd only take a Water monster with 1400 attack points to end it all, if it weren't for his trap.

"I draw!" She revealed her card before playing it. "Recognize it?"

Naota nodded. Amphibious Bugroth MK-3. A Water Monster that could attack directly when Umi was on the field. And A Legendary ocean treated itself as Umi. "So I summon my Bugroth (1500/1300- 1700/1500) in attack mode!" A red machine emerged on the field, and aimed itself at Naota. "Charge," the female duelist ordered. her monster shot forward, only to be repelled by a metal scarecrow.

"Scrap-Iron Scarecrow negates your monsters attack and then sets itself!" Naota laughed. He had survived one more turn.

"Stall all you want, Naota, but if you don't win soon, you and Ross will die of blood loss." Lake bowed politely. "It's your turn."

Naota drew his card, hoping he'd get something that could turn the tides. he had hoped to win it in one go with Shield and Sword, but Lake's trap had prevented that. "First, I switch my Emperor into defense mode and release Gear Golem to summon Total Defense Shogun in defense mode!" (1550/2500) "Now Sem's effect activates, and I put my Shield and Sword back on the top of my deck. Would you like to reclaim a card?"

"I pick Negate Attack." Lake said smugly.

Naota's black haired warrior appeared. In one hand he carried a sword, and in the other a massive shield. Thick armor covered his body, providing an unbeatable defense.

"This isn't good," Eirin noted. "On the next turn, Lake will set Negate Attack, and then Naota will draw Shield and Sword. The problem is, Shield and Sword will be useless if Negate Attack si still on the field."

"And he can't get rid of Negate Attack without using Shield and Sword to boost his own monsters' power." Nayuta concluded.

Ross grunted in pain, his face scrunched up in agony, "Naota knows what he's doing."

"Okay, now to explain my monster's effect. Total Defense Shogun can attack while in Defense Mode. But first, I activate Gift of the Martyr. I offer my Emperor to boost Total Defense Shogun's attack. Go, Shield Crusher!" Total Defense Shogun nodded sadly as his ally turned to dust and flowed into him, empowering him with new strength. (2850/2500) He tossed his shield like a discus, and it shot through the water, cutting through Bugroth like a buzzsaw.

**Lake 2850**

"Next, I activate Holy Replenish. When I have less than 1000 Life Points and I inflict damage to you, I can activate this trap card to give me Life Points equal to the attack of one monster I control."

**Naota 3650**

"I'm sorry Ross. I planned to let the attack get through so i could activate this later. When you jumped in the way, I was too stunned to do react in time."

"It's okay," said Ross. The blood loss was making them both weak. "I have faith you'll win."

"Your move, lake."

The female Duelist drew her card. "I discard two traps from my hand to Special Summon my strongest monster, Atlantean War Sub- Hydrotpolenos Silver Poseidon!" (2800/2000- 3000/2200) "Once per turn I can remove from play two water monsters in my graveyard to Special Summon one Water Monster from my deck. When I do this, my War Sub forfeits its attack, but it'll be okay. Because I remove Atlantean Pikeman and Bugroth to bring out Levia-Dragon Daedalus!" (2600/1500- 2800/1700) A long white and blue sea serpent snaked through the water. "By sending my Field Spell to the grave," she opened her Duel Disk and slipped the card away, "my Levia destroys all other card on the field!"

Suddenly, the waters parted, leaving dry land between two walls of ocean, it was like a biblical scene. "End this, Tsunami's Judgment!" Just as suddenly, the waters came crashing down, washing away everything on Naota's field. (2600/1500) War Sub was destroyed as well, but not before firing a torpedo at naota. it exploded, knocking him into the castle wall.

"When destroyed by a card effect, War Sub inflicts damage to both of us equal to its attack." A second blast knocked Lake backwards a little.

**Naota 850**  
**Lake 50**

Lake smiled as she held her hand forward, "Sin Serpent Streamer!" A blast of water from Levia-Dragon's mouth blasted Naota against the wall. he struggled to move, but the force was too much, forcing aa scream of pain out of his lungs.

**Naota 0**


	47. Hikaru and Ross

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX**

* * *

Duel Academia now contained more buildings then when Judai had attended. One of the many new additions, was a storage facility, where many important things were housed. New tables, beds, chairs, textbooks, and even a few potent cards. naturally, students were forbidden from entering, lest they try to steal something.

The steel vault felt cold to Takuya's finger tips. He ran his hand over the metal, breathing with intense delight. "Resting within are some of the most powerful cards the academy has ever seen. Naturally, their strength is nowhere near yours, Cthulhu. But still, they are a fierce and potent bunch. Hey, care to lend me a hand opening this thing?" The hinges of the vault began to melt, and the metal frame fell to the ground with a clang. "Oops, I hope none of the other guards heard that." Not that it really mattered to Takuya. Three guards had been put in charge of the vault, and they had all fallen to him easily enough. It's not like they had the ability to withstand anyone with any real magical abilities, and nearly anyone after these cards would have that kind of power. He reached into the vault and collected the cards.

The Octogram monster merely nodded in agreement with Takuya. He wasn't in a talkative mood today.

"Is something wrong?" Takuya asked with a half grin. "Hey, I hear footsteps, lets get out of here quick." he searched the room and found no other way out besides the way he came in. "Or I guess I can just wait for the guards to catch me and then beat the everloving snot out of them in a duel."

"Who are you?" Chtulhu asked.

"What do you mean? I'm Takuya! Don't be silly."

"Perhaps, to be more precise, _what _are you." The cosmic horror glared at his partner.

"Whatever do you mean," the Osiris Red asked innocently.

"You act like you don't know too much about the Octogram, but you obviously know some of what's going on. You ask questions, but you never show much surprise, it's as if you already know the answer before you say anything. You know what happens when we're all freed, and that's why you seek to free us. Many people only seek a single member of the Octogram to get what they want. You, on the other hand, want us all."

"I'm one of those guys who is never satisfied with what I have. I always want more." He chuckled like it was all some stupid joke.

"Just what the Hell are you? You can tap into my power far too easily for a mere mortal. You obviously aren't human. And you obviously know more about the Octogram then you're letting on. You know about our servants. You know too much."

Takuya continued his half grin as three grown men entered the room, each pointing a gun at him. "Hand the cards over and come with us, we don't want to hurt you."

"Campus security? Since when do you guys have guns?" He flashed Cthulhu a quick smile. "Well, since you already figured out I'm not human," he returned his gaze to the gun toting adults in the room. Takuya closed his eyes and took a deep breath before pointing his palm at them. "Intunericul poate atinge de lumina. Spatiul pot afara taram de timp. Inimile dincolo de dragoste ale omenirii."

Sensing that they were in trouble, one of the men fired a bullet at Takuya, not waiting for anything to happen. The bullet slowed and fell to the ground before it reached the boy. The three men panicked and turned to run, gasping in fear as Takuya continued.

"Existenta destrama si viata ale. Plecaciune inaintea mea minia divina!" Dark spheres pulsed from Takuya's hand, racing down the hallway after the men. they took the shape of a dozen black swords and danced around the men in a circle, cutting them off from escape. They screamed in fear as the blades aimed themselves at the guards. Takuya clenched his fists, commanding the swords to strike. They pierced the men from all angles, and their blood splattered against the pure white walls.

Takuya walked over the bloody carcasses without a care in the world. He smiled like he had just opened a brand new booster filled with rare and powerful cards. "I wonder which of these I should test drive first."

* * *

Takuya emerged from the storage facility with a smile. He knew that the cameras had been unable to record him, so he was perfectly safe. Any witnesses who might have seen him were now dead. Sure, the investigation into five dead security guards might be a bit of a problem, but he was sure he had left no evidence behind. He held his hand into the air. "Soon, a third member of the Octogram will be free. I can feel it. Ryou will surely free Skeith soon."

"How can you tell," Chtulhu asked. "And more importantly, what the hell did you do to those security guards? No human should be capable of such a thing."

"Does it matter? My plans will free all of the Octogram, granting you exactly what you wish for."

"You do realize what that means for this world, right?"

"This world is a rotten place, it can burn in hell for all I care."

* * *

Hikaru stepped forward, "if I beat you, will Ross and Naota be alright?" The anxiety raised her body temperature, making her unbearably uncomfortable. "Because I will kick your ass up and down this disco hall!"

"Their wounds were inflicted by magic, so they'll survive a bit longer. If you can defeat me in time, then yes, they will survive. But be warned, if you don't defeat me quickly enough, they will die. You may end up dieing as well, if you take on too many wounds. And to make sure nobody interferes this time," a blazing light cut off Hikaru, Ross, and Lake from the others. "Your friend Naota would have been dead by now if Ross hadn't stepped in. Too many wounds will kill you in this game." Lake drew her hand of six, not bothering to discuss turn order with her opponent. "I activate A Legendary Ocean!"

The familiar ruins rose up, bringing the sea with them. "Now all water Monsters lose a level. And because of this, I can bring out Catapult Turtle in defense mode." (1000/2000- 1200/2200) "Don't forget the stat boost. You may now make your move."

Hikaru worriedly looked at Ross, he was trying his best to act tough and brave but his pain was obvious and undeniable. "I'm afraid I'll have to end things quickly. And it'll be easy without any face downs protecting you. Let me guess, you planned to summon a new monster next turn, discard two traps for your war sub, offer your other monster and Catapult Turtle for the turtles effect, then remove them both so your Submarine can summon Levia Dragon and use its effect."

Lake growled, Hikaru had seen through her plan perfectly.

"I activate Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two. Next, I use Monster Reborn to bring back Emi." (1200/1100) She noticed a look of concern on Eirin's face as the blonde girl rose from the dead. "Her effect allows me to draw a card from my deck." A red headed girl appeared next, "I normal summon Haruka (1700/1300) and she allows me to bring a Spell from my graveyard to my hand. So I take back Monster Reborn and revive my other grave sent monster, come back Keiko!" (1500/1100) "When she's Special Summoned, she destroys one monster on the field, so bye-bye Catapult Turtle."

The Turtle curled up in its shell and floated away, dead.

gave an almost flirtatious smile. "Maho Shoujo First turn Kill, Triad Flare!" Her monster's magic blasted the servant into her own barrier.

**Lake 0**

The blazing light died down and Eirin stepped forward as she watched Ross' wounds vanish. "No," the servant cried as her body slowly turned to dust. "I can't die. I don't want it to end yet."

"Pathetic," Morganna sighed, "you guys do what you want and trample over others, but when you get into trouble you act like a coward." She walked to Ross' side and helped pull him up. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he said as he brushed off his pants.

"Ross," Hikaru whimpered as she threw her arms around the boy. "Thanks so much, you saved Naota."

"No problem, he's my friend too." Ross stated as he tried to keep his body in check. "Not that I don't like hugging you, but can I take a rain check on this? We really should be heading upstairs to rescue our friends."

"Right," Hikaru agreed as she dropped her arms.

"Do anything like that again, Ross," Isamu shook his head. "Give me a little warning next time, okay?"

"The stairs are over here guys," Nayuta said, pointing. She ran forward without waiting for the others, listening as a faint pounding sound began flowing down the stairway. It intensified and grew louder, and Nayuta could slowly make out some words that went with it. "It's a Hazuki/Zer0 song," she stated, "these guys really do love her."

**_Kaerb kaerb kaerb_**

**_A heart beyond saving_**

**_Hraeh nekorb, trapa llaf_**

_**Dedicated to a love forever fading**  
_

Waiting for the five friends plus Morganna was a girl with an already active Duel Disk. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm not in the mood for much talking. My name is Linden, and that's all you're getting."

"Good, cause we're in a rush," Nayuta stated as she stepped forward. "We have our friend to rescue."

"Well, step back, because I choose Ross as my opponent."

* * *

Cthulhu turned to Takuya. "You know, Skeith does not believe you are worthy of the task of freeing us."

"But I earned Ender's respect, so that's enough for me." Takuya laughed.

"But don't you wish to earn Skeith's respect? Perhaps he may be willing to aid you in your efforts as well."

"I don't need his help," the boy stated. "Everything is going keikaku doori."

* * *

"I guess I'll go first," said the young man as he rubbed his mustache. "I summon Broken Tutu in defense mode." (0/1000) A pink tutu appeared on the field and fell to the ground. "I set two cards and end my turn." he announced as two face downs emerged.

"I summon Linden Sprite in defense mode," the girl announced. (0/0) "Next I use Card Destruction, forcing both of us to discard out hands and draw new cards to replace each one we lost!" She discarded her hand as the bright green sprite flew in on fluttering wings. "I activate Soul Absorption, meaning I gain 500 Life Points per card whenever cards are removed from play. Then I activate Sprite's effect, removing a Linden card in my graveyard to inflict 1000 damage!"

A green light shot forth from the sprite, striking Ross' in the chest, knocking the air out of him. "That hurt," he admitted weakly.

**Ross 3000**

**Linden 4500**

"I set a card and end my turn."

Ross drew his next card. "Okay, here we go, Linden, sorry to break it to you but you guy's ain't got nothing worth worrying over. "I activate my face down Trap Card, Trap Breaker! By destroying a trap on my side of the field, I can give one monster I control a 1000 Point attack boost until the turn ends and prevent you from activating any traps this turn."

"Then I'll just chain my trap card now, go, Linden Rage. Now whenever a Linden Monster is destroyed, I can remove a different Linden monster from my grave to revive it."

"And I'll chain my other trap, Meteorain, giving all my monsters piercing for the turn. Then, I think I'll explain Tutu's effect. She gains 1000 attack points for each trap activated. This only lasts until the end of the turn, and she's destroyed at the end of a turn in which she attacked, but it won't matter, this duel won't go on any longer. "Broken Tutu, attack mode, Ballet Break!" The empty uniform danced forward, crushing the Linden monster with her might.

**Linden: 500**

"I remove a monster to bring back Linden Sprite!" (0/0)

**Linden 1000**

"I set four cards and end my turn," Ross stated as his monster vanished.

"I summon Linden Harpist in defense mode." (0/0) Linden laughed as her monster appeared on the field. "I activate her effect, sending Linden Light from my deck to the graveyard to give myself an extra 1000 Life Points.

**Linden 2500**

"I remove Linden Light from play to activate its own effect**! **I can revive Linde Spirte from my graveyard in defense mode. Now I'll remove another card from the grave to activate Sprite's effect, inflict 1000 damage!"

Ross grunted in pain as another beam of light hit him.

**Ross 2000  
Linden 3000  
**

He fell to his knee, sweating. "Your move," Linden said.

Ross could barely breathe. "I draw." he felt dizzy, and nearly fell over, but Hikaru ran to his side, grabbing him and supporting him. "I've got you, Ross," she said gently.

Ross smiled. "I almost don't want to end this duel, so that we can stay this way for awhile." he joked.

The Obelisk blue girl frowned. "Don't say anything so stupid again or I'll crush your nuts faster then you can apologize."

"Sorry," Ross smirked at the girl. "I summon Vicious Dancer." (1000/1000) A beautiful girl appeared, wearing a black dress and stockings. Her black hair was up in pig tails and black lipstick covered her face. She looked like a perky goth with a dark smile. "Attack Harpist!" The dancer spun forward, tossing out a black ribbon that curled around the harpist, squeezing the life out of it.

"I'll remove a monster in my graveyard to bring her back," Linden stated.

**Linden 3500**

"Now I activate my Dancer's effect, by sending a face down spell or trap i control to the graveyard, she can attack again, so get rid of Harpist a second time!"

"I remove my final Linden Monster from play to bring her back again!"

**Linden 4000**

"You are an idiot, Ross," Linden teased. "My Life Points are back up to 4000. I thought I might have to be careful when you pulled off that one move that inflicted 4000 damage, but you don't have the brains to defeat me."

"This duel isn't over yet." Ross activated his next face down card. "I use Call of the Haunted to bring back one of the monsters you discarded. Come on out, Acro Dancer!" (1200/1000) "Now I use Urgent Tuning, Synchro Fusing my two Level 3's together to bring out the Level 6 Splendid Waltz!" (2000/0) A young male appeared on the field. He resembled Ross a bit, only he was clean shaven and dressed in a tuxedo. "I attack your Harpist, and activate his effect, by paying 500 Life Points, I can switch the mode of your monster!" The man waltzed forward, drop kicking Linden Harpist to the graveyard.

**Ross 1500**  
**Linden 2000**

**"**Next I activate his second effect. I can have him attack a second time this turn, but you draw two cards."

Linden growled in frustration as she drew one of her trump cards. it was too late, Splendid Waltz was heading right toward Linden Sprite, and her Sprite's mode was changing to attack.

**Ross 1000**

"End this, Waltzing Dropkick!"

**Linden 0**

Linden grunted as the holograms vanished. "I guess you're better than I acknowledged. Perhaps we'll meet again one day."

"Wait, why aren't you turning to dust?" Nayuta asked.

"Only the weak will turn to dust," she explained as she turned around and faded from sight. "Now go on to the next floor. But I warn you. The next duelist is unlike anyone you've ever faced before."

* * *

_**I want to forget the pain I feel now**_

_**I want to go back long ago**_

_**I want to be happy just being friends**_

_**But I don't think I'll be happy ever again**_

**_Uoy ot txen gnihton era somsoc eht_**

**_

* * *

_**The group made it up another flight of stairs and found their final opponent waiting for them. "Nice of you to make it," said Ienzo. "But I'm afraid you go no further tonight."**_  
_**

* * *

_**Author's Note: Yeah, I used an online translator. I know it's bad, but, it's fun, I can't help myself.**_

Darkness beyond the reach of light. Space crafted outside the realm of time. Hearts beyond the love of humanity. Existence fades and life rots. Bow before my divine anger!


	48. The Strongest DuelistIenzo

**Disclaimer: I don't own this or Megaman nor Final Fantasy VIII  
**

**A short chapter today**

**Oh wait  
**

* * *

"So, which of us do you want to duel?" Nayuta asked, stepping forward, hoping to be picked.

"Any of us will be willing to take you on, and any of us will be able to beat you." Eirin readied her Duel Disk.

"I already kicked Blaze's ass and Linden's," Ross told the boy, "want me to add you to the list?"

"Of course, I could always be the one to beat you. After all, you saw what I did to Lake, didn't you?"

Ienzo snapped his fingers, and Emi and Naota appeared before the duo, tied up in a black chain. With a second snap of his fingers, Ienzo caused the chain to turn to wispy smoke and float off. Emi was the first to wake up. "Where am I?" She asked.

"You're in the Castle of Broken Dreams, my dear Child of the Ravens." Ienzo tilted his head to the side. "We captured you to lure Eirin into our trap, along with your other friends. Now I'm setting you free. well, you're free from my grasp, you're still stuck in this illusion." Ienzo giggled girlishly. "Naota, you want to get up? Or are you too busy dreaming?"

* * *

Naota sat on a couch, fidgeting nervously as he looked at his friend. "Hey Yuu, do you think Hikaru's going to come today?" he asked.

"I hope so," Yuu answered. "I missed you guys a lot."

Naota smiled at the younger boy, trying not to scare him away by being overly clingy. Too be quite honest he wanted to glomp Yuu so badly it hurt. He could actually feel the overwhelming desire building up inside, threatening to overflow and burst.

Naota's heart began beating rapidly, faster even then the tensest duels he had faced in Duel Academy. "She said she would try to be here as soon as she got back from going shopping with her parents. Not sure how long that will be." He was all alone with Yuu, all alone with the boy he...the boy he...

Naota couldn't figure it out exactly. Yuu was the boy he..wanted to spend all his time with? The boy he wanted to be best friends with forever and longer?

"I was really looking forward to seeing her," Yuu admitted. "I, Naota, are you two going out? I mean, I know we both liked her, but, I, well, if you two aren't," Yuu stuttered.

Of course, Yuu cared about Hikaru more than him. And why not? He was a boy. She was a girl. It couldn't be any more obvious than that could it? Naota's heart sank and he wanted to cry.

* * *

"Kaito," Ienzo said with a smile, "you can cut the dream now."

Naota seemed to wake up on command. His groggy eyes gazed around the room, taking everything in.

"Oh, it was a," despite being trapped in an alternate dimension, Naota couldn't maintain his composure. Normally, he'd do his best to avoid showing weakness here, but he couldn't stop the tears. He began crying, and the tears wouldn't stop.

"What'd you do to him?" Hikaru demanded as she ran to Naota's side, dropping to her knees to hug him.

"My dear friend Kaito is the master of dreams," Ienzo explained. "We gave him exactly what he wanted, that's all." Ienzo held out his hand and tore a hole in the air, revealing the world outside. It was Duel Academia, the place they were trying to get back to. "Here's the way home guys. You just have to beat me in a duel to get out. not liek that is ever going to happen."

"So, which of us will you duel?" Morganna asked as she stepped forward. "You have seven opponents to choose from, but I'm the strongest here. if you're really confident, you'll pick me."

"Pick?" Ienzo laughed as his Duel Disk activated. "Who said I'm picking? I'm dueling all seven of you at once!"

Visible shock ran across all their faces. Was he crazy? It didn't matter to Nayuta, who quickly activated her Duel Disk and inserted her deck. "Fine, but don't complain about the odds once you lose. This was your decision."

Emi went next, followed by Eirin. The Lunatic Princess drew five cards and smiled. "I can promise you that I'll be enough to kick your ass to the moon in one blow. All of us together will just be overkill."

Naota and Hikaru went next. "We're unstoppable together. And with our friends, we're even stronger than before!"

Ross and Morganna smiled as they joined in. Isamu only laughed as his Duel Disk activated.

"I'll go first, then you guys can take any order you want. So long as you don't attack on your first turns, I'm confident in my deck." Ienzo drew six cards and smirked as his black Duel Disk activated. it overrode Eirin's custom Duel Disk, allowing the room to remain as it was. That is, until Ienzo snapped his fingers again. the lights dimmed, and bright lights of all colors began flashing around the room. A rock version of a popular Megaman song began playing. "Ore-sama no turn!"

"First, I use Pot of Greed to draw two cards." He laughed out loud as he placed five cards face down. "I'll set these all and end my turn."

"My move!" Morganna cried as she drew her sixth card. "I summon Raven Blaster Izumi in attack mode!" (1200/1000) the blonde haired blue kimonoed Raven Blaster appeared in front of Morganna. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"Then I'll go," Hikaru roared as she grabbed a new card. "I'll activate the Graceful Charity Monster Reborn combo, drawing three cards, discarding two, and reviving one of those. So come on out, Eclair!" (2400/100) "Now I normal summon Emi (1200/1100) and draw a card. I'll set two and end my turn."

Naota drew his card next. "I think I'll use the same Monster Reborn combo to bring out Genesis of Darkness- Shiki!" (3000/0) "Then I summon Mystic Elf in defense mode!" (800/2000) The two monsters appeared side by side, ready to protect Naota with their lives. "And Shiki gains 500 attack for each Spellcaster on the field!" (4000/0)

To this, Ienzo responded with a smile. "Since classic combos seem to be popular right now, I activate Ring of Destruction, destroying Shiki and inflicting 4000 points of damage to your Life Points. Additionally, I chain Barrel Behind the Door, reflecting the 4000 damage I would have taken all to Emi!" Two explosions rocked the night in beat with the music, knocking Naota to his butt.

Emi remained standing, but was out of the duel. She hadn't even taken her first turn.

**Emi 0  
Noata 0  
Ross 4000  
Eirin 4000  
Nayuta 4000  
Morganna 4000  
Isamu 4000  
Hikaru 4000  
Ienzo 4000**

"Sorry Emi," Naota apologized.

"There's no way you could have foreseen that," Emi told him.

Eirin drew her card and smiled. "I activate Lunar Cry! This card lets me summon five Normal Monsters from my hand. So come on out Lunar Queen Elzaim (750/100) LaMoon (1200/1700) and Moon Envoy (1500/1300) all in defense mode." The four monsters all appeared, preparing to protect eirin from any attack. "And I'll place this card in attack," she stated as she revealed Cosmo Queen. (2900/2450)

"The only good monster you just summoned was Cosmo Queen. The others are useless except as Fusion Material," Ienzo laughed. "They're nothing but a liability. I activate Just desserts, inflicting 500 damage to you for each monster you control!" A ghostly hand stretched out and tightened around Eirin, sapping her strength.

**Eirin 1500**

"My turn," Ross was next. I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, blowing away your face down card."

"Judgment of Anubis negates your spell at the cost of a discard. Then, I destroy Eclair and inflict 2400 damage to Hikaru!" Hikaru grunted in pain as he ronly monster was blown away, leaving her defensless for the next round.

**Hikaru 1600  
**

"He's klcking our butts," Naota moaned.

"He's using up most of his resources and Ross, Nayuta, and Isamu are still untouched. And Eirin's still in the game with five whole monsters in play," Hikaru reminded him.

"Hey, I'm untouched too, and I have face downs," Morganna reminded. "Not that they're doing much good," she sighed. They weren't exactly the most useful. One was Spell Shattering arrow, meant for destroying Continuous Spells, and the other was Radiant Mirror Force, a restricted Mirror Force only capable of working if the opponent controlled three or more monsters. She grunted at their current uselessness.

"I summon Vicious Dancer in defense mode and set three cards face down." (1000/1000) "Sorry I couldn't do more guys," he apologized as his monster appeared on the field.

Nayuta let out a cry of triumph. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards from my deck!" She looked at her new cards and smiled at the others. "I summon Velonica Blader in attack mode!" (1700/1300) A man with blue hair and blue armor appeared, swinging a blue sword. "When he battles another monster, i can discard a card to give him 300 attack points until the end phase, or 600 if that card is a Velonica Card!" She didn't place any face downs, hoping to save the cards in her hand for his other effect. "Your move, Isamu!"

"I summon Marauding Captain (1200/400) And use him to Special Summon Command Knight (1200/900) whose effect gives all warriors 400 extra attack. next I use the A. Forces to give all my Warriors 200 extra attack per Warrior I control!" Both monster's attacks rose to 2000, a fairly impressive number. "Your move, Ienzo, lets see what you can do!"

**Ienzo 3000**

"During my drawphase, I can pay 1000 Life Points to add a Lussionary Monster from my deck to my hand!" he explained as he revealed a card that had shot out of his deck. "I summon Lussionary Light!" **(0/0) **A small ball of Light appeared, quickly taking the shape of Eirin. "She gains 1000 attack and defense for every light monster my opponents control. So that's 4000 from Eirin. Go now, attack Morganna's Raven Blaster!" Lussionary Light formed a bow in her hand and fired an arrow at Morganna's only monster, destroying it easily.

**Morganna 1200**

"Morganna, Ross, work on your bluffs. I can tell just by looking at you that your face downs are not worth fearing. Your move, Morganna."

Ienzo's turn had come and gone, and he had inflicted 2800 damage and summoned a monster with 4000 attack points. Not good at all.

Morganna grunted as she drew. the single attack had taken a lot out of her. "I summon Raven Blaster Cirruci." (1900/1000) "In defense mode. next I set a new card and end my turn."

She was waiting for Ienzo to attack, then she could activate her trap card, Magic Cyinder, a staple in negating attacks and dealing damage at the same time. One attack would end it all for Ienzo, and then he'd learn what a fool he was for challenging them all to an eight on one duel.

Hikaru's turn was next. "I release Emi to Normal Summon Maho Shojo Megumi (2500/1200) "And I equip her with Blackest Art- Dark Heart Bible! It boosts a Spellcaster's attack by 1500, so I'll ram her into your monster!" She nodded sadly at her monster, indicating their was no other way. Of course, with Blackest Art in play, this was perhaps a good thing, seeing as she'd take 1000 damage during each endphase. Her monster charged forward, ready to strike down the fake Eirin.

"Trap card activate, go Magic Cylinder. And instead of inflicting 4000 damage to you, I'll transfer that over to Nayuta!" Megumi blasted a beam of energy at Lussionary light, only for it to be deflected to nayuta, knocking the girl off her feet and out of the game.

**Nayuta 0**

"I end my turn," Hikaru stated as her spell card inflicted 1000 points of damage to her.

**Hikaru 600**

Eirin drew her card. "Sorry guys, but my luck seems bad today. All I can offer is this. I'll ram my monsters straight forward and reduce my Life Points to 0. That should take care of his monster's strength, and then you guys can take him out. Go, Cosmo Queen, attack Lussionary Light." it was a suicide mission. the beautiful Queen was shot down before her attack finished charging.

**Eirin 0**

The fake Eirin took the form of a normal ball as her attack and defense vanished completely. **(0/0)**

Ross drew, knowing it was his chance. "Crap, I got nothing in my hand," but it didn't matter too much.** "**Vicious Dancer attacks once, destroying your monster and inflicting 1000 damage!" The beautiful girl danced forward and smacked the ball of light like it was her playtoy.

**Ienzo 2000**

Ross breathed joyfully for a moment. They had finally inflicted damage, and now the servants was down to half his Life Points. It was going to end soon. "Once per turn I can give Vicious dancer a second attack by sending one face down I control to the graveyard. So I'll do so and have her attack you directly." A direct kick to the chest seemed to do nothing to Ienzo.

**Ienzo 1000**

Ienzo held tightly to the last card in his hand. The others had no idea what it could be, or if it could somehow save him.

Isamu drew and grit his teeth. "Now you can't even add a Lussionary Monster to your hand during your next draw phase. It's over for you!" He looked over his hand. he had two high level monster that needed releases, a new trap card, and a Warrior Returning Alive. "Go, direct attack, Command Knight!"

"I discard Kuriboh, negating all damage I would take from this attack," he announced as thee sword slashed across his chest.

"Then Marauding Captain will get you."

"Not if I remove this from my graveyard," he countered as Necro Gardna rose up to intercept the Captain's attack.

"I end my turn' Isamu said bitterly.

The entire team was tense. So far, Ienzo had spectacularly outperformed them. But there he was, completely out of cards and facing a team of opponent's two of which were still at full Life Points. He only had 1000. So why didn't he atleast seem nervous.

"Believe in your deck and reap the rewards. I draw, and activate The Spellbook Inside the Pot, allowing each of us to draw three cards."

"Big mistake!" Morganna announced. "You just gave me the cards I need to beat you."

"Hah, you can't win now." Hikaru taunted.

Naota smiled. "Taking us all on was a huge mistake, you're going to be in for a world of pain."

"Shut up." Ienzo ordered as he drew.

Isamu and Ross both smiled as they drew helpful cards.

"I summon a second Lussionary Light in defense mode!" (0/0) without any Light monster son the field, it had no power to draw from, it remained a useless ball. "And I set two cards in defense mode!"

Morganna drew and looked over her six cards. She wouldn't even need any of them to win. "Go, Raven Blasters attack him both of you."

"Cocky, much?" Ienzo laughed. "Don't want to even try some trap removal? Surely you must have something."

"No need, even if you stop this, my fr-allies will take you down." Morganna all i know you want me to try something like that. it's better this way."

"I use DNA Transplant, all monsters become Light!" He laughed as light flooded the field, flooding Lussionary light with power. (6000/6000) The card took the form of Naota this time. The pure white doppleganger charged forward, slicing through the Raven Blasters with a giant scythe.

**Morganna 0**

This in turn reduced the monster's attack (4000/4000) so Morganna didn't mind too much. "So, you survived that attack. But Hikaru has a few ways of ridding the field of traps, don't forget that."

Hikaru drew her card and smiled. "She's right you know."

**"**I activate Imperial Custom!" Ienzo told them. "Face up Continuous Traps I control other than this card can't be destroyed."

"Then we'll just have to destroy them both, right Hikaru?" Morganna countered.

Hikaru nodded. "I activate Dimension Runes, releasing my monster to bring back Eclair. Then I can destroy Imperial Custom!"

Ienzo only laughed. "Of course, your Equip Spell activates when sent to the graveyard, inflicting 700 points of damage to both players!"

**Hikaru 0  
Ienzo 300**

**Lussionaru Light (3000/3000)  
**

Hikaru turned to Ross and Isamu. "It's all up to you guys to save the day. Ross, if you beat him, I'll give you a kiss," she promised.

"Even more incentive to win," he said as he drew his next card. "I summon Hayaku Waltz but forgo his I activate Double summon," he took the spell out of his hand, "So I can now offer both my monsters to bring out Princess of the Lake of Swans!" (3000/2500) "Choose a,"

"Card type, spell, magic, or trap, right? You made a really stupid choice Ross, you could have won. You just needed to think about how to use those cards of yours to defeat my monster. Though really, I can't beleive all of you. Where is the monster removal. Don't you know to always have a card handy to get rid of a monster you can't destroy?"

Nayuta growled. Her Velonica Gunner could have easily done that if she had been left in the duel. She had a feeling that Ienzo realized it.

"I seem to have had bad luck with that." Hikaru searched through her deck, all her favorite monster removal cards were near the bottom of her deck.

"Hurry up and pick a card." Ross ordered.

"I know your monster's effect prevents it from attacking if you don't have the right type of card in your hand. Could it be you are anxious because my choice is that important to you? If you had a Spell, Monster, and a Trap, it wouldn't matter which I pick, you would win. So obviously, you lack something. I intend to figure that out."

"Just hurry up."

"I'm trying to think of what I know about your deck. And I pick trap card!"

Ross sighed, defeated. Within his hand were a monster and a spell. "Isamu, please tell me you have something."

Isamu drew his card and smiled."I have eight cards in my hand. of course I have something! I release both my monsters to summon Gilford the Lightning!" (2800/1400) With one less monster on the field, Lussionary light's attack went down. "Attack his monster!" Gilford's electric sword attack cut through the illusion, dispelling it from the field. "I'll set four cards and end my turn."

Ienzo merely smiled as he drew. "Ross, how about I help you out a little. I activate Card of Sanctity, meaning we all draw until we have six cards in our hand!" Obviously, Ienzo got the biggest benefit.

"N-no," Ross knew it was over. They had been hanging on by a thread each turn. But there was no way they could survive Ienzo replenished hand. "I activate Monster Reborn, reviving my Lussionary light!" (2000/2000) "Next I set four cards face down."

Ross drew a card and looked at Hikaru with a smile. "I activate Heavy Storm, destroying every spell and trap card on the field."

"I activate Magic Jammer, discarding a card from my hand to negate your spell."

Ross grunted as his card was neutralized. "I enter my battle phase, what kind of card do you pick?" he asked.

"How about this, Ross, you choose the cards type needed to activate your effect. Then, if you have the balls to attack, you can do so."

"I choose Monster, he replied happily, slipping a monster card into hsi graveyard. "Go, attack him now!"

The Princess moved forward, but Ienzo was waiting. " I tribute my monster to use Chaos Burst! Thus your monster is destroyed and you take 1000 damage. Then I activate Hades' Mirage, since a monster was destroyed and sent to the grave by a card effect, we both take damage equal to its attack, but I'll use Spell of Pain to inflict the damage to Isamu instead."

**Ienzo 300**

**Ross 0**

**Isamu 1000**

Ross sank to his knees, stunned that he had been goaded into attacking so easily. He could hardly believe it.

It was all up to Isamu now. The Obelisk Blue drew his card.

"Secret Barrel inflict 200 damage to you for each card on the field and in your hand!" Ienzo stated blandly.

**Isamu 0**

"We all lost," Naota gasped.

"You are all fools,' Ienzo stated. "Thinking that you could defeat me. Especially you, Naota. Your defense deck is weak. Sure it may win you a few duels here and there, but if you use the other deck you hold, you might stand a better chance at being strong."

"How do you?" Naota gasped once more.

"Just use it, Naota. As for you, Nayuta," he formed a card in his hand, made of pure darkness. "I know this doesn't fir your theme, but take it. It may help you." He threw the card to the girl, smiling at her blank stare.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"I have my reasons, young one." Ienzo stepped aside. "You are all free to go."

Ross gave a dubious look. "Why would you suddenly set us free after all that."

"We have accomplished what we needed to accomplish. besides, you are all far more valuable to us alive then you are dead."

With that, Ienzo vanished.

**

* * *

Sorry that duel sort of dragged on, I know it was probably pretty boring, but I did my best.  
**


	49. The Morning After

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX**

**This chapter is giving me major deja vu.**

**Also, this is my explanation to why Accel Synchros work outside of Riding Duels  
**

* * *

It was silent except for Noata's gentle yawn and the hum of the fan. Ross Maulding smiled at his friend as he woke up from a long sleep. "Morning, sleepy head."

"Where am I?" Naota asked as he looked around. This wasn't his room, it was too fancy and large. There was a large screen television with a DVR hooked up, a shelf of books, fancy curtains, a coffee machine resting on the kitchen counter. And there was only one bed. It was covered in brown bedsheets, far too bland for Naota's tastes. There was also a treadmill in the corner of the room.

"It's my room," Ross explained as he stretched his limbs. He was dressed casually, wearing only his brown boxers and no shirt, making Naota blush. "You passed out last night, so I offered to bring you to my room so I could watch over you. Hikaru said she was worried about you and wanted someone to be there for you when you woke up."

Naota noticed the pillow and blanket on the couch. "You could have taken the bed, I'd have been fine with the couch."

"Don't be stupid, you're my guest. Besides, no offense, I'm better built for a couch than you are." The older male joked.

"What the hell does that even mean?" Naota glanced at the calendar. "Hey, the play is in two days."

"Yeah. I'm really excited for that. You think your friend Yuu is going to watch?"

Naota nodded. "I'm sure of it." He looked out the window at the sunshine. "He loved sunny days like these. we used to go outside and play"

"Speaking of going outside and playing," Ross said thoughtfully, "we're going to the sports store. we are buying you the necessary equipment so I can teach you to play baseball."

"I thought you were joking." Naota told him.

"Nope. You need to be more active, Naota. Especially since we're apparently fighting the forces of darkness, or something." Ross stood up. "You can take a shower while I get dressed," he said as he walked to his closet. "I grabbed some of your clothes from your room."

* * *

Haley hugged his knees. "I wonder how Sora is doing?" It was the weekend, so he was dressed casually in a pink long sleeve shirt with tight black pants. He was sitting under a tree, balancing a sketch book on his knees as he looked at his picture of a Duel Monster Card he was considering making. It was a young woman with a black and white dragon mask. She wore a long robe with shoulder pads and a cape. In one hand she held an open book, in the other she held silver necklace with a sun shaped pendant at the end. Flowers seemed to be dieing at her feet.

"Who is Sora?" The shadows all began gathering at a single point in the ground, like water being sucked down a drain. A form emerged, a black mass of oozing darkness that slowly took the form of a human. "Your boyfriend?"

"What makes you so sure Sora is even a boy? It's an androgynous name, Ender." Sora didn't even look up as he spoke to the boy. "What do you want?"

"Oh? And why can't I come check on you? After all, we are enemies are we not? Rivals that serve opposing forces. I serve the dark side of the Octogram, you serve the Lightside. Pretty shitty job you guys are doing though. Two members of the Octogram are free, and a third is about to join them." Ender felt the temptation to kick dirt on Haley's sketchbook, but he fought the urge. "That and your friends are all too busy playing with Ryan to do anything to stop us."

"They beleive Ryan is our greatest hope. That's why they're training him to fight all of you. You better be ready, 'cause right now he's probably one of the strongest duelists outside the Pro Leagues."

"He has nothing on his cousin, Yuu, and you know we have him in the palm of our hands. He's doing exactly what we want him to. He doesn't even realize it either." Ender smirked like a demon. He knew that Haley could easily be provoked into doing whatever he wanted. After all, it was in his nature. "And even if Ryan is good, Star is outright better. We've got that duel sealed."

"You shouldn't be counting your chickens before they hatch, Ender. After all, Ryan is still getting stronger. One day, he has the potential to be stronger than Yuu. He may even surpass _Yugi _at the rate he's growing."

"You're a fool if you think Ryan is anything special. By the time Star is done with him, he won't even want to win their duel."

Haley was growing irritated at this point. "Ender, I challenge you to a duel!"

**Ender 4000**

**Haley 4000**

"Well, I was feeling a bit bored."

* * *

Fray stomped her foot in frustration. "We let them go? Why?" She glared at Ienzo angrily, as if she wanted to tear his heart out and shove it down his throat.

The two were standing in an icy region. Snow blanketed the Earth, painting it white. Tall mountains blocked out the sun, bathing the land in perpetual night. Ienzo merely flipped his hair and gave her a bored look. Speaking in a tone that indicated he had no interest in arguments, he told her, "we have no reason to destroy them. We're better off letting them live. Besides, if we got rid of them all, things might be bad for Nayuta's psyche."

"That girl, she really is Yuu's sister, isn't she?" Fray shook her head in disbelief at the idea. "That seems like an impossible coincidence. Yuu's sister ends up befriending one of his best friends. What exactly are the odd?"

"You don't actually think it's a coincidence, do you?" Ienzo didn't bother speaking to her directly, instead, he looked up at a shadowy figure in the sky.

"Of course not."

"Then good. Because, it isn't."

* * *

Ross smiled as he watched Naota swing the ash bat. "You really suck at this you know?"

"Duh." They were in the Sporting Goods store on campus, and Naota was trying to find a bat he liked. he asked if Ross had one he could just borrow, to which the older boy replied 'nah, you should get your own.' Naota had already complained that he didn't have the money to pay for this all, so Ross said he'd pay for it.

"It's funny," Naota commented as he tried an aluminum bat next. "This school is like it's own city, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I once heard somewhere that we have more students than a small city. I guess these businesses actually have a way to prosper," he commented, remembering their earlier conversation about how certain establishments prospered. "So, which one do you like better, wood or aluminum?"

"I can't really tell much of a difference. Wood, I guess. Sanmaru says he uses a wooden one."

"And you want to emulate him? How cute," Ross teased.

"Shut up Ross, or I may be forced to take a page out of Hikaru's book and aim low," Naota said in monotone.

Ross pretended to look worried before stating," dude, no offense, but if you tried to hit me there, you'd be on the floor in thirteen seconds." He chuckled as he looked of that. We have your cleats, a glove, batting gloves, a bat, and a helmet. I can let you have one of my old baseball caps, so that just leaves one thing."

"Do I really need one?" Naota asked, embarrassed.

"Look, it's just like any other kind of underwear and any piece of equipment. Hell, it might just be the most important piece of equipment for playing baseball. Or any sport for that matter. You're a guy, so you need to wear one. There's no reason to be so embarrassed." Ross grabbed the helmet he was holding and promptly placed it on Naota's head. "Too bad the teams don't use real uniforms," he complained. He was referring to the group of boys that assembled to play baseball on the weekends. "I think you'd look good in a baseball uniform," he said almost teasingly.

"Very funny," Naota said reluctantly.

* * *

Ender and Haley had been staring each other down for seven minutes straight, trying to intimidate each other through an impromptu staring contest. Haley blinked first, and Ender responded with a half-smirk, half-grin. "I will go first," he stated, claiming the opening move as his prize. "I summon Desumetal Duragon!" (0/300) "In attack mode!" A small dragon appeared on the field. It had a European design, it stood on four legs with a wingspan of over twelve feet. Half of its body was covered in cybernetics. it's left eye had been replaced by some kind of scanner. It seemed to be scanning the contents of Haley's hand. "When you have four or more cards in your hand, I can tune him with a Dark monster in my hand to bring out a Dark Dragon Synchro monster for one turn."

"Next, I activate Cost Down, by discarding a card from my hand I can reduce the level of all monsters in my hand by two! Now I can tune my Level 1 Tuner with my Level 7 Cruelty to bring out a Level 8 Syncrho monster. Darkness culminates within our heart, give birth to the twisted shadows that decay our souls. An elegy for innocence, a funeral for sanity. Surrender to your true self. Synchro Shokan- envoy of truth and darkness **Templar Dragon!" **(1000/3000) A large black dragon rose, seemingly from the depths of hell. Its six wings blocked out the sun, eclipsing Haley in a sea of darkness. He could barely see at first, it was like the monster sucked light itself out of the area. Haley tried to adjust his eyesight, but a sudden flood of light nearly blinded him as fire rolled out of the monster's nose, gushing down like a waterfall of flames.

"While in defense mode, he could as a Shadow Templar, and Shadow Templars can't have their effects negated. Next, I combo Card of Safe Return and Monster Reborn! I bring back Reincarnation and draw one card!" (1200/1700) His monster appeared on the field and he smiled. The knight shoved a sword in the ground and waited for an order. "Now I end my turn and allow Reincarnation to revive Cruelty, allowing me to draw a new card. (1200/2700) "Cruelty's effects activate, each other Templar gains two Counters, then she gains four. And afterwards, she hands out one more to each of them, bringing my total up to eleven!"

Haley drew a card and didn't even bother to deal with taking down to Ender. "I suppose I'll have to crank up my A game if I want to win this. I summon Prime Red Wizard!" (700/700) The Level 3 Spellcaster appeared in a flash of red. He smiled at Ender, issuing him a silent warning. "When he's summoned you can't acti, oh wait, you don't have anything. Never mind. I think I'll use Bond of the Spellcasters to bring out Secondary Witch Green!" (900/900) "Next, I destroy your Dragon!"

Ender watches his monster vanish and grunted in dismay. In the graveyard, it's be immune to Reincarnation's revival technique, he'd need another card to bring it back. He had planned to use its effect next turn. Once per turn, a Templar's attack and defense could be switched to the endphase, and it'd switch back to defense at the end of the turn, meaning you could attack and then switch back to your carefully guarded stance.

"Next I activate Dimension Magic, offering Green to bring out Secondary Witch Orange!" (900/900) The golden sarcophagus appeared and took the first witch in, only to split out the second in a burst of orange light. She wagged her staff in the air as orange lights launched themselves at Cruelty, destroying the Shadow Templar easily.

"I'll just revive her next turn!" Ender told Haley.

"I Synchro Summon Rainbow Cascade Warlock, by tuning a Prime Wizard Tuner and Secondary Witch Non-Tuner!" The two monsters burst into light of the appropriate color and mixed, forming a swirling vortex of light. A man in a rainbow colored robe appeared, his blonde hair spilled out from behind a white mask, randomly zig-zagging at odd angles. "Once per turn, removing a Spellcaster from my graveyard I can Special Summon a Prime Wizard Tuner from my deck. So out comes Prime Blue Wizard!" He smiled as the rainbow lights emitted by Rainbow quickly turned blue, taking shape and forming his new wizard. (700/700) "I activate Blue's effect, I can lower the level of a monster on the field by up to two, so my Rainbow becomes a Level 4 monster. And I tune them to form the Level 7 monster, Dark Deicide Warlock!" (2700/2100) A black robed version of the Dark Magician appeared, sporting white hair and pale white pupils. Red markings covered his face. "Once per turn, allows me to discard a spell to draw two cards." Haley slipped his card away and drew a new I activate Monster Reborn, bringing back my Rainbow! Now go, attack, Magical Deicide!" The streams of energy crossed, creating a massive explosion that rocked Ender's Life Points.

**Ender 1300**

"Your move!"

Ender drew his card with an uncharacteristically shaky hand. he had never felt this kind of anger in a duel before. It was cold raw fury. "I activate Templar Oath Fulfillment. I can Special Summon a fallen Shadow Templar in defense mode for a turn, so I bring out Reincarnation, and gather two Shadow Counters. Naturally, I get to draw a new card. I'll set two and end my turn. This means I bring Cruelty back (1200/2700) and she gets two Counters before giving herself a third. Best part, I get to draw a new card." Reincarnation began fading away. "Cruelty gave Reincarnation three Counters in addition to the previous two, and now that reincarnation goes away, my Oath Fulfillment allows me to give all Counters to Cruelty!"

Haley's hand went up to two cards. "Looks like I'll just need to set a card and end my turn!"

"I activate Solemn Wishes, granting me a Life Points boost whenever I draw cards!"

**Ender 1800**

Ender's face revealed a plan.** "**Now I use my Eternal Malice trap card to revive Reincarnation in defense mode and draw a card!" His face down trap flipped upward, and Solemn Wishes sent sprinkles of rain onto the dark duelist,

**Ender 2300**

"Now I set a card and activate Foolish Burial allowing me to throw a Templar from my deck into my graveyard. And I'll revive that Templar with Reincarnation, allowing me to draw a new card. So come on out, Assault!"** (900/1200) **"He gets a single Counter, but more importantly**, **I can use his effect to bring out a new Templar from my hand. So I'll whip out Wrath**! **(300/2000) Forcing you to attack with each monster possible. Of course you can always switch them into defense and allow me to slowly pick them off." Ender shook his head. "But, most importantly, Wrath gives Cruelty four Shadow Counters and then she gives each Templar a single Counter!"

**Ender 2800**

Haley drew a card and smiled, even though he knew he would probably be walking straight into a trap, he had back up plans. "I'll attack Wrath with Deicide Warlock!**"** Black lightning fell from the heavens and surrounded Haley, taking shape as a massive dragon unfurled its massive wings to block out the sun, reminiscent of Ender's dragon. It charged toward the Shadow Templar, who didn't flinch.

"Unity will combine their defenses into one for this single turn!" Ender revealed his trump card. "That's 4900 damage, you lose, Haley!"

The Servant of the Lightside gave a cocky grin in response. "I activate effor Recoil. When I take damage from battling a defense position monster, that damage is cut in half and shared!"

**Ender 350**

**Haley 1550**

"Now I suppose my other monster will attack Reincarnation!" A bright burst of light caused the Shadow Templar to fade away from existence.

Ender drew a card, gaining a few Life Points. "I use Shadow Lightning. By removing ten Shadow Counters from a single monster I can destroy one monster you control and inflict damage to you equal to its attack points. So I target Deicide!" Cruelty gathered her shadow into her hand, casting black lightning at the Spellcaster.

Haley only allowed his two monsters to vanish into a green portal.

"What? But, an Accel Synchro? That's impossible. You can't have traveled to any other worlds to get Accel Synchro cards from anywhere!"

"Oh, and what about this world's Accel Synchros?" Haley asked, amused.

"You can't perform Accel Synchros in this world without speed. And you can only get enough speed in a Riding Duel!" Ender stated.

"You're right. We do need speed to perform Accel Synchros in this world. But you're wrong about the source. ANy speed will do, not just a riding duel. if two people duel in a car, they will have enough speed to perform an Accel Synchro, assuming the car is going fast enough."

"But we're completely still!" The other servant protested, flustered for the first time in a while.

"Oh? Are we?" Haley smiled.

"You can't mean."

"Forces of nature gather in my mind, a world at our feet prays for salvation. Together, we shall ascend the throne. Accel Synchro, taker of the heavens, Cosmo Mage- Shekhinacide!" (3200/2200) A white robed spellcaster with raven hair and six angelic wings hovered in between both duelists, emitting a blinding aura. "When Synchro Summoned, she allows me to declare an attribute. Both players take 400 damage per monster they control with that attribute, then, those monsters have their stats cut in half as long as she is on the field. And I pick dark!"

Holy light fell upon Ender, making him roar in pain.

**Ender 0**

Haley began to speak. "Currently, the world is in a state of peril. The level of Ris in this world has increased exponentially, allowing human's hearts to synchronize with the world itself. And what better source of speed than the very Earth we stand on, spinning through space at hundreds of miles per hour. I'm surprised you fools didn't think of that sooner."

"Hahahaha, why would you even tell me this?"

"I have my reasons."

**

* * *

**Naota swung the bat at the ball as it sped toward him. He missed completely and it clattered against the batting cage. He waited for the machine to fire another one, and again he missed. "Don't worry Naota, just keep practicing." Ross grabbed the bat from behind, showing the younger boy the proper way to swing. "I told my friends I was giving you a crash course today and that you'd be joining us tomorrow, they said they were excited to meet you."

"Kay," Naota shifted his stance awkwardly. "Hey do I have to wear this right now, I highly doubt that the machine is going to hit me there."

"Look, it's better safe than sorry, besides, you need to get used to it." Ross told him "Anyway, we're just doing a few crash course lessons here so that you can hit and throw the ball. Since we're playing tomorrow, we need to get in all the practice we can, but if you start to get tired, let me know so we can take a break."

"I'm fine!" Crack! Naota's bat sent the ball flying the other way.

* * *

Nayuta stared at the card Ienzo had given her. **_O Fortuna._** It wasn't a Velonica card, but it did have a musical theme to it, so that was cool. "Why did he give this to me?" Nayuta wondered. She couldn't figure it out. But she figured that wasting time thinking about it would get her nowhere, So she decided to take a walk.


	50. Naota vs Ross

**Diclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX**

* * *

Hikaru simply sat in her bed, reading over her script. An acid taste washed up her throat as a wave of nervousness overwhelmed her. She pulled her blanket tighter over her body, hoping the warmth would make her feel better. The soft feeling and clean citrus scent made her body tingle and her stomach settle. She felt a little better as she read the words, but she couldn't help but think about Yuu. _'_But she knew she shouldn't bother. Thinking about him would only make things worse. "I hope Naota's okay," she said to herself. She let the script rest on her bed as she got up to pull the curtains. Light poured into the room, illuminating the dark corners. The sun felt warm on her skin, like a friend's embrace.

She dropped to her knees and stayed there on the carpet, not bothering to move. She had no reason to. She was content to simply bathe in filtered sunlight, waiting for something to happen, waiting for a sign that life was still going on.

She wanted someone, anyone to knock on her door.

But she waited, and nobody came.

* * *

"Okay, Naota, just do it like I showed you, and try not to hit me this time." Ross said, referring to the time Naota had managed to get Ross in the cup.

"Sorry," Naota said as he placed a hand on his head. He was currently wearing a blue baseball cap that Ross had given him as a gift. Naota focused and visualized and gripped the ball tightly. He wanted his aim to be true, but he knew that in a real game he'd have to be quick about it. He threw the ball to Ross, who quickly caught it in his glove and threw it right back. Naota didn't even have to move his glove, it went straight in with a thud.

"Of course, eventually I'm going to have to make it a little harder for you," Ross told him.

"So, remind me why you're making me do this?" Naota asked as the two boys kept tossing the ball around.

"Because you need to work out in case we ever get trapped in another alternate dimension and you need to take care of yourself. Besides, you don't seem to mind that much." The ball sunk into Naota's glove. "And this way you can play with Sanmaru when you guys see each other during the summer."

* * *

Nayuta was walking along one of the academy's many walkways, orange and flowers lined the cement pathway. "Huh, what's that?" her curiosity pointed her body toward a small crowd of security guards. They all looked distressed and tense, judging from their body language. Nayuta couldn't see their faces, they were huddled around something. Hypnotized by the sight, she forgot her original attentions and migrated toward the scene like a stray cat to somebody else's food. Curiosity was about to do a number on her stomach. "Is something wrong?" She stood on her toes, trying to look past the guards.

"Hey you shouldn't be here," one of the guards tried to turn her away, but it was too late. Nayuta caught a glimpse of two dead bodies lieng on the grass, unceremoniously left to decay. their limbs pointed in all directions. They looked like life size rag dolls with puddles of red pouring out of their bodies.

Nayuta hunched over as she involuntariness regurgitated her meal onto the grass.

* * *

There were certain places in the world of the Octogram where things got extra freaky. This was one of them. Clouds swirled together and colors mixed. Orange bled into purple and painted the sky a tie-dye of freakishly vibrant colors. Red, blue, purple, orange, yellow, white, and more all spilled across the sky. The low moaning of a thousand Duel Spirits in agony set a twisted atmosphere that served as the backdrop for the current conversazione.

Cthulhu looked up at Skeith who hovered in the sky, looking down with a mournful look. He had a white, disjointed body in the shape of a small humanoid creature. His legs were each made of a single piece, while his arms were both split into four. each segment of his body had a bumpy rock like quality to it. An off centered oval rested on his head and he held a red Q shaped staff in his hand. Skeith spoke in a low voice, it sounded more like he was speaking directly into Cthulhu's head then through the air.

"Ryou is serving well as my host, soon I will be free. What has this 'Takuya' person done? You said he would help to free the Octogram, but he has done nothing!"

"I do not know exactly what his plans are, but I have faith in his abilities. Besides, he is not the ordinary human he seems to be. If anyone has the power to help us, it is Takuya."

"I still don't see what is so special about this boy." Skeith let his staff hover in the air as he crossed his arms.

* * *

Naota fell over comically. The catching exercise had been going well with Ross, so they moved on from catching thrown balls to batted balls. Ross had brought along a Fungo Bat and started hitting the balls into the air, making Naota chase after them. That had gone on for a bit, and Naota had shown some improvement. Overall, despite his lack of athletic talents, he seemed like he'd be able to play. He wouldn't be on the same level of the other boys, but he'd do fine. "This is so going to suck if I end up being a bench warmer." He said in a tired voice.

"Don't worry, we're not too competitive. It's all about having fun for us, unlike most testosterone driven idiots." The mustached boy helped Naota to his feet and smiled. "Look, we've been at this for a few hours," he looked at the afternoon sun hanging in the sky. It was starting to get hot. "Let's get all this back to your room and then we can shower up and do something relaxing."

"How about a duel?" Naota suggested.

"A duel sounds great."

* * *

Isamu was sitting in his room, doing sit ups when he suddenly heard a knock at the door. "Give me a second," he said as he stood up. He was wearing his gym shorts and no shirt, so he wanted to get dressed before answering the door. His guest didn't bother waiting, and instead twisted the door knob and pulled the door open. "Haley, what are you doing here?" He asked, startled that the door was open. He had been sure he locked it. He was too flustered to scold the boy for entering on his own.

"Sorry to bug you, I was just visiting the theater, and they have a martial arts movie playing. I-I heard a rumor that you like those kinds of movies so I was wondering if you wanted to go."

"Thanks, but I was planning on working out today. I was gonna go hit the gym later."

"Oh, okay," Haley said, disappointed.

"You want to come with me?" Isamu offered.

"Um, sure. I'm not really the type to work out, but I guess I have nothing better to do." Haley smiled.

Isamu didn't bother to think about why Haley had asked _him_, but he supposed it didn't matter.

* * *

"Back?" Takuya asked as his Spirit Partner returned to his side.

"Yes, my journey to meet Skeith went well. He said he is almost free."

"Good, with three of the Octogram free, the other seals should be weakened severely." Takuya stated.

He was currently seated at a desk in the Osiris Red cafeteria, eating a ham sandwich he had made for himself, complete with whole-wheat bread, mayonnaise, mustard, crisp lettuce, and fresh tomatoes. Strangely, there was no cheese. He bit into it, and the juices from the tomato gushed out. He could taste the salt he had sprinkled on. "This sandwich is good," he said randomly.

"It smells good," said Cthulhu. "Of course I only ever eat Duel Monster spirits. My favorite flavor is dragon, they taste delicious. of course, Fairies aren't bad. The fish taste disgusting though."

"I'd like to try eating a Duel Monster spirit one day," Takuya said, looking at Cthulhu. "Not you. I need you for my plans."

* * *

Eirin rummaged through her old diaries, trying to find any mention of a boy named Lee. Her room was a mess. She had pulled boxed upon boxes out of her closet and tossed many things into a pile in an attempt to get through all her old diaries. She flipped through them all. The only people she had written about were her mom, dad, little brother, Nayuta, and Emi. There wasn't a single mention of a Lee anywhere. And yet, she could have sworn she faintly remembered a friend with that name.

It was there in the back of her mind like an itch that wouldn't go away no matter how hard your nails scratched your skin. You could pick at it until you began to bleed, until the pain made you want to scream, yet the itch would never go away.

* * *

Naota and Ross faced each other with their Duel Disks ready. They had decided to meet on the same baseball field where they'd be playing their game tomorrow. It was well taken care of, despite being used only for P.E. and a few pick up games here and there.

"Watashi no turn! Draw!" Naota presented a spell card. "I activate Swords of revealing Light and release it to Special Summon Swordsman of Revealing Light from my hand!" (2500/2000) "Now I use Warriors Leading the Charge! While I control a Warrior, I can Special Summon one from my hand as long as it has less than 1500 attack, so I bring out Millennium Shield and release it to bring forth Millennium Knight!" (3000/3000) "Anata no turn!" The two knights both appeared on the field and stood in front of Naota protectively.

Ross drew his card and smiled.

"When you control a monster and I control none, I can special summon Ballet Pink in attack mode!" (1000/1000) "I'll release her for Ballet Black in attack mode!" (1300/1000) A girl in a pink tutu appeared, only to be overtaken by one in black. "When she is normal summoned I can pick up the top five cards of my deck and activate a normal spell. The rest of the cards end up shuffled back." Ross counted off the cards, one, two, three, four, five. "I activate Ballet Blitz! I select a monster I control and a stronger one you control. the difference in their original attacks is inflicted to you. So I pick your Millennium Knight and you take 1700 damage!"

Light erupted from Ballet Black like a series of missiles. They launched at Naota with high speeds, but Millennium Knight plunged his sword into the ground, raising a barrier that protected him. "Once while he's on the field, my Knight can negate effect damage." Naota explained.

"Then I activate Ballroom Blitzkrieg, I can select a monster you control and lower its attack by 800, so I pick your Swordsman of Revealing Light!" Three swords of light fell from the sky, two surrounded Ballet Black while the third landed in the Swordsman's hand.

"Since he was targeted by a spell I can select a monster on your side of the field and it can't attack for two turns. Then my Swordsman gets 500 extra attack!" (2200/2000)

"One card set, turn end!"

Naota drew and smiled. "I activate Polymerization, fusing my two Warriors to bring out Swordsman of Millennium Light!" (4500/4000) A silver armored blonde swordsman appeared, carrying two Swords of Revealing Light, one in each hand. Eleven more orbited around him. "Come on, time to shine, light illuminate the darkness and cut through my foes!"

"You've been wanting to summon that thing for a while, haven't you?" Ross guessed.

"Yep. Now go, Mandala Prism Slasher!" Eleven swords circled around Ballet Black, glowing various colors, they struck at once, piercing it from every angle.

"I activate Defense Draw, I take no damage but I do draw a card. And Ballet Black's effect activates, any monster that attacks her loses half its attack, and she can't be destroyed in battle."

**Swordsman of Millennium Light (2750/4000)**

"Your move," Ross.

The muscular teen drew a card and smiled. "I summon Hayaku Waltz in defense, now we each get to Special Summon monsters from our hand with 1000 or less attack."

"I forgo the effect."

"And I bring out Dancing Boy in defense mode (800/1200) And his effect lets me summon Dancing Girl from my hand!" (1200/1000) "In attack mode!" Two young children appeared on the field and Ross began to smile. "I equip my Dancing Girl with United We Stand, boosting her attack! (4400/1000) "When my Dancing Boy is on the field, Dancing Girl can attack directly!"

"Sorry, but my Swordsman allows me to redirect any attack to him!" The girl danced forward with a spinning kick, only to catch the Swordsman's armored shin.

**Naota 2350**

"Well, now I wish I had more monsters in attack mode." Ross commented. He had feared that some sort of effect might negate his direct attack and he didn't want any more monsters sticking around as targets.

Naota drew his card and smiled."Card of Sanctity lets us both draw until we have six cards in our hand!" Both players drew until their hands were refreshed. "I'll summon Giant Soldier of Stone (1300/2000) in defense and set three cards. turn end!"

"I summon Broken Tutue in attack and switch all my monsters to attack mode. Now, go, attack directly, Dancing Girl!"

"I activate Raigeki Break, discarding a card to destroy your Dancing Girl!" Lightning dropped from above, zapping the monster to ash.

"I activate Tailor of the Fickle from my hand, switching united We Stand to Dancing Boy! And now Broken Tutu gains 1000 attack!" Ross stated. "Go, Dancing Boy, destroy Giant Soldier of Stone!" Stone crumbled with a single mighty kick. The low rumble of rock grinding against rock let Naota know it wad time for his trap.

"Broken Blocker. Since my destroyed monster had more defense than attack I can bring out two more from my deck in defense position." (1300/2000)

"i end my turn."

Naota drew. "I'll set my last two cards and then end my turn."

"You can't win if you keep playing defensively Naota."

"Just watch me."

"Dancing Boy, attack!: Ross didn't bother to summon any monsters, he didn't even have nay low level ones in his hand. they were mostly spells and traps and a few high level monsters.

"I activate Unity, raising my monster's defense to 4000, making the attack useless!" Naota watched Ross' monster kick his own, but nothing happened, it was a neutral battle, neither side won or lost.

"I'll activate a Quick Play spell, Kuroi Waltz! I release a monster In control to give another monster I control 1000 attack and Piercing for this turn. So I release Hayaku Waltz to empower my Black Tutu. (2300/1000) "Go, Black Waltz, destroy the weaker Giant Soldier of Stone!"

"Not so fast, I use Prism Wall. I switch targets to my other Soldier, and now we take damage equal to its attack!"

Prismatic light erupted throughout the room, inflicting damage to both players.

**Naota 1050**

**Ross 1000**

"Next I activate Mystic Wok, releasing my monster to gain 4000 Life Points!"

**Naota 5050**

"Your move," Ross conceded.

And Naota drew his card. "I use Monster Reborn to bring back the monster I discarded for Raigeki Break!" (0/2000) "Tortoise Rancher!" A large tortoise with a cannon on its back stomped its feet as it prepared to fire. "By offering my Giant Soldier of stone I can inflict damage equal to half its defense!"

The older male was hit by a piercing light, ending the duel.

**Ross 0**

"Damn, you're good. Still, I heard about your duel with Exavier and your other deck. It sounds like it's even stronger than this one. Why don't you use that?"

Naota shook his head. "I'm not going to use it until I'm worthy of using it."

Ross grinned. "And what makes you think you're not?"


	51. The Wicked Shadow

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX**

**I hate that thing's canon attack name**

**Thanks goes to Arcana Force XIII for the original cards. if you feel like it, feel free to check out his story Our War Game!  
**

* * *

The outskirts of Evarice were not the nicest place to be at this time of night. The creeps usually emerged and started their illegal dealings, creating a nearly tangible aura of place was known as one of the most dangerous cities in America for a reason.

Water crashed against the docks and a low fog horn in the distance signaled the approach of a ship. Two grown men quarreled over the price of an item one was trying to sell. "Hale a million Yen for one card?" Grumbled one man. "You're insane!" His thick beard and rugged clothes gave him a disheveled look. He wasn't the kind of guy you'd expect to own that kind of money, if you judged by looks alone. Of course, your assumptions would quickly be proven wrong.

"What's the matter, Yamazaki? Your wife spending too much of your money. You're not the kind of guy who usually bitches over such a paltry sum of dinero." The second man had dark skin and wore an expensive looking white business suit. he had well groomed hair and a perfect white smile. He obviously cared about his appearances more than the first man. But they were both equals in wealth and in danger. You'd be a fool to trust either of them. And yet, many people were. These two had made a fortune out of swindling others.

"So, for half a million Yen, you can steal Destiny End Dragoon?" Yamazaki double checked.

Destiny End Dragoon was the trump card of the Destiny Hero Archetype. There were only two in existence. Originally, the entire archetype rested solely in the hands of one Edo Phoenix, a gift from his late father, a card designer for I2. Eventually, he decided that it would make his departed father happiest if his final creations were released to the public. The once unique archetype had now entered public circulation. But the trump card did not. Only two copies lived in this world, one in Edo's deck, and one in a vault in I2.

"For half a million Yen I can get you any card you want."

_Whoosh_. The waves crashed against the dock again. The smell of the ocean stung Yamazaki's nose. "Okay, deal, Lucian, you've got your money."

Clack, clack, clack. Someone with wooden sandals walked along the wooden dock. "Planning a theft of a rare and valuable card, my, my, my, I am disappoint." The voice was distinctly feminine, and so was the figure though most of her features were obscured. A black Duel Disk clung to her left arm and slender legs poked out of black denim shorts. She wore a brown cloak over her pink shirt, the hood pulled over her eyes, hiding her face in shadows. When she spoke, her voice was altered by some sort of device, giving it a mechanical sort of quality.

"Who are you?" Demanded Lucian. "And what's with that get up. Could you be more cliché?"

"Cliché? El-oh-el, that word means overused to the point of having no value. Cloaks like these will always be awesome." The girl spoke. "Now, onto business. I came her because I heard there would be a meeting tonight between two powerful men who like to do very illegal things." She held up a tape recorder. The two men moved to grab it, but she took a step back and wagged a finger. "If you want it, I'll wager it as an ante in a duel against you, Lucian, and you'll wager your services. But if you decline, this tape goes straight to the police."

Lucian grimaced, knowing he'd have no choice but to obey. Sure, he could try to overpower the girl, but something about her gave him the chills. "What's your name?"

"You can call me the Wicked Shadow." She drew sic card. "Ore-sama no taan. Duel!" She slipped two cards face down and smiled. "Kaado ni mai setto!"

"What, speak English," Lucian growled.

"Are you stupid? Kaado is _obviously _the English word card. Setto clearly means set. Ni, I'll forgive this, means two. it's somewhat common but I guess it's not a required bit of knowledge. Anyway I set two card face down, shouldn't that have been obvious? Taan Endo. Teme no taan!"

Lucian growled as he drew. "Only two face downs and no monster. You're a fool if you think you can beat me that way. I summon Noble Rider Odin!" (1700/500) A large black armored man with a golden face galloped down from the heavens on a six legged horse. "When he attacks directly, I can discard a monster from my hand to boost the damage by 200 times that monster's level. Go, Odin, Gugni,"

The Wicked Shadow's first set card spun face up, revealing an image of a wyvern like creature. "Chronic Deja Vu copies your monster into a token." (1700/500)

"That's fine with me. When Odin attacks another monster, it gains half that monster's defense as attack for the battle, giving him just enough of an edge to win this fight. Go, Zantetsuken!" The true Odin galloped forward on his mighty steed, slicing through the impostor with ease.

**The Wicked Shadow 3750**

She showed no emotion in response to the destruction of her token. "I activate a trap card, Michizure, destroying Odin." The first Odin shattered just as easily as his doppelganger, leaving both players wide open for attack.

"Three card set," **L**ucian panted as his face downs appeared. _'Why does my chest hurt so much from such a simple duel?'_

"Ore-sama no taan. Draw!" The Wicked Shadow's hand size went up to five. "I think I'll summon **A**sh Suflet! (0/0) In defense!" A tiny orb of light appeared on her side of the field, two more soon joined it. "And it's effect calls its friends out from my hand, deck, or graveyard!"

"What? But that means you can easily recycle them. They're way too broken as tribute fodder!"

"You think these cards are broken, wait until you see what I'm using them as fodder for. "I set one card face down and use Foolish Burial to send a monster in my deck to my graveyard."

Lucian could barely breathe thanks to all the pressure. It felt like someone was squeezing the life out of him. He thought his heart might burst at any moment. "I activate Advanced Ritual Art, sending six normal monsters from my deck to bring out Lycanthrrope from my hand!" (2400/1800) A large vicious werewolf jumped up from the ocean and landed on the docks, shaking a few loose boards. "When he inflicts damage, you take an extra 200 damage for each Normal Monster card in my graveyard. And currently there are six! Then I use my face down Instant Flip! By paying 1000 Life Points I can discard a flip effect monster in my hand to use its effect!"

**Lucian 3000**

"So I discard Magical Merchant and begin picking up cards until I get a Spell or Trap card. Then I add that to my hand and discard the rest." He began searching through his deck like crazy, taking card after card from the top. "Here we go, it's Heart of the Underdog!" he presented the card before activating it, and sending all the other cards to the graveyard. "In case you lost count, that was twelve cards, meaning I have eighteen Normal Monsters in my graveyard. So when Lycanthrope deals you any battle damage, you take and additional 3600 Battle Damage. Now I equip my Lycnathrope with Fury Claw. It can only be equipped to Beast Warriors and allows them to inflict piercing damage. And, whenever they destroy a defense position monster in battle, I can destroy another defense position monster you control. Go, 6000 points of damage, Fury Fang!"

"!"

The Wicked Shadow watched her first monster be destroyed by the vicious lycan, and her Life Points plunged down

**The Wicked Shadow 1350**

Red claw marks appeared in the air above her body, signifying Lycanthrope's damage dealing effect. "Not so fast, I activate Schiaphiliac Heart. I can remove from play a monster in my graveyard to negate the effect damage you would have dealt me, as long as its less than my monster's attack."She watched the werewolf tear through another of her cards.

"Keep playing defensively and I'm going to win this easily."

The Wicked Shadow drew her card and smiled. "You're under the impression that you're in control aren't you? Let me tell you this. I allowed you to come this far because you're kind of cute. But I can easily destroy you whenever I want to. Combo, Card of Safe return and Monster Reborn! I bring back my two dead Suflets and draw two new cards." She immediately played one of her new card. "Graceful Charity. Pot of Greed." She drew three cards and discarded two, before drawing another two. "Next I activate Ashes to ashes, tributing one Ash Monster to halve your Lycanthrope's attack." (1200/1800) "I'll set my hand. Baka no taan."

Lucian growled as he picked up another card and revealed it, a Normal Monster. He repeated the process until he had drawn a fourth card. "I activate Sword of Offered Souls. I equip it to Lycanthrope and discard as many normal monsters in my hand, raising his attack by 1000 for each. His attack is halved during the end of each turn, but I'll deal with that later," he slipped away three cards. (4200/1800) "Go, Soulstealing Fang!"

"Cue the latin," the Wicked Shadow's smile was visible even in the darkness. "My first card is Ojama Trio, forcing the three Ojamas onto your field!" (0/1000)

"I hate that Manjoume popularized that card." Yamazaki muttered.

"And All out attacks forces them into attack mode and makes them attack this turn."

"Pointless, my Lycanthrope will end this."

"And I tribute my two monsters for my trap, immortal Class! This card allows me to revive any Level 7 or higher monster in my graveyard, ignoring summoning conditions." Darkness swirled beneath the balls of light, taking them in. What replaced them was a large avian dragon with silvery scales. "I bring out The Wicked Eraser!" (8000/8000) "Go, Disparitie Supernova!" The Wicked Eraser shot each of Lucian's Monsters with a burst of black energy. "-13,700. I think."

**Lucian 0**

The criminal fell over, defeated by the immense might of the Wicked God. "Alright, what are your conditions?"

"I want you to go to Duel Academia for me. There is someone I want you to defeat. His name is Naota Yamaguchi."

* * *

Naota Yamaguchi slumped onto his bed, still drying himself off with a towel. He had had a long exhausting game of baseball with Ross' friends. They had offered to take him to get pizza, but he said he wanted nothing more than to go home take a shower and nap. His body ached, but he had fun. A lot of fun. He was ready to take a nap when his computer dinged.

_You have one new message._

He read the words on screen and smiled. "Sanmaru!" he cheered as he logged in.

**Soleil de Chevalier: Hey, Naota, how are things going, man.**

**E・HERO Honest: I'm doing great. How are you?**

**Soleil de Chevalier: A new kid transferred in. he made it all the way up to me in the Gauntlet, but I defended my spot. What did you do today? Did you end up playing ball with your friend Ross?**

**E・HERO Honest: Yeah, I didn't do much though. My team won, but I feel like I held them back.**

**Soleil de Chevalier: Don't worry, you'll get better at this, trust me.**

**E****・HERO Honest: I hope so. Anyway, I'm excited, we're supposed to play again next week. Ross even said he'd try to order uniforms for us all.**

**Soleil de Chevalier: Wow, you're liking this even more than I thought! I can't wait until summer when we can play.**

**E****・HERO Honest: Well, I have to admit it's pretty fun, though wearing a cup sucks. I can't beleive Ross is _making _me wear one. -.-;  
**

**Soleil de Cehavlier: Lol, yeah. It does suck, but trust me, you want it just in case. Anyway, I was fine tuning my deck today, you want to duel?**

**E****・HERO Honest: Okay, just let me get my deck.**

Naota ran to his dresser, where he had left his Duel Disk and Deck. Ross' words and Ienzo's both ran through his head. he took the deck out of his Duel Disk and removed a few cards before putting the rest back. He walked to his bed and grabbed his teddy bear, pulling out the deck inside. "Yuu."

He shuffled it into his Duel Disk and hooked it up to his computer. A small computerized version of himself appeared on screen, right next to a small digital copy of Sanmaru. He has chocolate brown hair and tanned skin, and wore a long sleeve black shirt with an unbuttoned red shirt on over it. Baggy black pants covered his legs and a yellow Duel Disk with a red trim.

"My turn, draw!" Sanmaru started. "I normal summon Ultimate Baseball Kid to the field!" His avatar played a card and it appeared the vast darkness of cyberspace. "Since I control him, I can Special Summon Baseball Kid Takuya from my hand!" (1000/500) "Now Ultimate Baseball Kid gets 1000 extra attack!" He reached for a card and set it. "A face down will end my turn." The two boys wore similar red uniforms, showing they were on the same team.

"Time to show you the true strength of one of the most powerful decks in the world."

"Wait, are you using your other deck? Cool, I get to beat that one too." Sanmaru joked.

"I summon Starlight Sorcerer- Adelaar!" (1600/1200) The eagle winged star mage appeared in a gust of spinning feathers. "Whenever I activate a spell, she gets a Spellcounter and 200 attack points. So I activate Starlight Starnova. One Starlight Sorceror I control gains 800 attack points this turn, and if it destroys a monster in battle, i gain Life Points equal to its defense!" His monster's attack rose to 2600, enough to attack even if Sanmaru planned to activate the popular DNA Transplant. "Go, attack ultimate Baseball Kid!"

"Takuya's special ability lets him intercept an attack meant for Ultimate Baseball Kid!" Sanmaru swung his arm out as his other monster stepped in the way. "And I activate my face down Double Play. When you attack a Baseball Kid I can pay 1000 Life Points to destroy the attacking monster and force you to send a monster from your hand to the graveyard."

"Okay, I'll toss this away," Naota said, slipping a card into his graveyard. he watched as Takuya hit a flaming baseball that struck Adelaar in the forehead. "I set a card and end my turn!"

Sanmaru drew his card. "I'll set another card and summon Baseball Kid Lea!" (1000/500) This one had red hair poking out from under his helmet. "Now go, end this, triple attack!" They all tossed fiery baseball into the air and his them with their metal clubs. With two Fire Monsters beside himself in play, Ultimate Baseball Kid gained 2000 attack, boosting their total power to 4500.

"Sorry, I activate a Trap, Staraze Twin Nova. by removing from play a Starlight Sorcerer in my graveyard and one from my hand when you declare a direct attack, I can bring out a Starlight Synchro as long as its level is equal to the removed monsters. So I bring out Starlight Sorcerer- Konijn!" (2800/2000) A young woman with pink hair and black robes bounced onto the field. her floppy bunny ears fell over her eyes. "Her effect doesn't allow her to gain Spellcounters, but once per turn I can remove from play a Starlight Sorcerer in my deck to activate its Spellcounter effect. And that's without using any Spellcounters! So I remove Havik to destroy your Ultimate Baseball Kid!" Feathers swirled around the young jock and cut through him, shredding him to ribbons.

"I activate Foul Ball, when an Ultimate Baseball Kid I control is destroyed by your card effect, I inflict damage to you equal to its attack. Flames washed over Naota, cutting his Life Points drastically.

**Naota 1500**

**"**That's alright, go, attack Lea!" Konijn fired a magical bullet out of her finger, which shot through the young player's chest.

**Sanmaru 2200**

The tanned boy drew a card and smiled. "I activate Baseball Diamond! This field spell boost all Level 4 or lower Baseball monsters' attacks by 800, meaning my monsters each now have 1800 attack! Then I summon Baseball Kid Ash (1000/500-1800/500) He gains a power boost." This player didn't have a bat, only a glove. Instead of a helmet, he had a cap, he was obviously the pitcher.** "**He can attack directly, but first, I set a card. now go, Ultimate Pitch!"

A baseball flew through the air, striking Naota's avatar directly.

**Naota 1500**

"What? That should have ended it!"

"Remember when I discarded a monster? That was Starlight Kuriboh. When I take direct damage, I can remove it from play to negate all direct damage I would take this turn. Then, once the turn ends, i can Special Summon a Starlight monster from my deck with less attack then the damage I negated."

"I end my turn." Sanmaru announced

"I'll use Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Then I bring out Starlight Sorcerer- Krai!" (500/500) Naota drew. "Level 3 Krai and a Level 8 Konijn. I'll tune them both to bring out my ultimate monster. Starlight cluster and form a bridge to my dreams. Open the pathway to a smile. Shine your light on me and become my wings. Synchro Shokan, harbinger of dreams, Starlight Angel!" (3500/2000) The girl didn't look at all angelic. She just looked like an ordinary blonde girl with a black robe and a staff. "Go, Feather Waltz! When she attacks, I can reduce her attack by 1000 until the endphase to negate every single effect on the field! But first, I activate Diffusion Wave Motion! For 1000 Life Points she can attack both your monsters!"

Black lights burst forth, slicing through both baseball players, cutting through Sanmaru's Life Points

**Naota 500  
Sanmaru **0

"D-damn, that was a cool move, Naota. That deck is pretty awesome. Why don't you use it more often?"

"You know what, i think I will," Naota told him.


	52. Morganna vs Aiko

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or R  
**

**Author's Note: God, I so need to end Season 1 soon and move on to Year 2.**

**And yes I ship Mokuba with Rebecca. Please don't kill me.**

**As for first name vs last name, I'm kind of all over the place this chapter, sorry about that. Ummm, this chapter is mostly filler.  
**

**

* * *

**Naota fiddled in his front row seat. Being friends with both leads had earned him a better view, but he felt a little awkward being so close to the stage. He could see Hikaru looking at him nervously, fidgeting in her cute blue dress. Ross didn't look nearly as nervous as she did. He looked like he'd had enough experience to make it through the night without succumbing to anxiety. He had shaved off his mustache to look his best for the part, and Naota had to admit he looked really different. He was dressed in shining silver armor, like a royal knight ready to rescue a princess.

A student Naota didn't recognize ended up going on stage first. The lights dulled and the spotlights centered on him. "Once there was a far off land called Gelanvia."

* * *

Kaiba began looking over a list, checking off names at regular intervals.

"How are things, Seto?" Mokuba asked as he hung up his cellphone.

"The Manjoumes said they can both make it to the Twilight Festival. Kaiser Ryo and his little brother Sho will both be attending as well. Judai and Johan are both out of touch, apparently they went on a trip somewhere. Edo said he'd be glad to make it. Jonouchi and Mai said they'd both be glad to come if their kids can come along. That is, after that stupid dog rubbed it in my face that I had actually bothered to ask him. Leon and his brother are coming as well, and I asked Amedla, Rafael, and Valon, but none of them could attend. Ryuji, Shizuka, Honda, and Ribbon said they were excited to come."

Footsteps echoed as a beautiful woman with dark skin and a cream colored dress approached. "Seto, I managed to get in touch with Johan. It seems he and Judai are visiting France to see Rebecca."

"Huh, I wonder why she didn't tell me?" Mokuba wondered.

"She said she emailed you," Shizu stated.

"Oh silly me, i really need to check that thing more often," he said longingly as he thought about his dear Rebecca.

"You know I still can't beleive you two are married. You two barely interacted at all during the KC Grand Prix, or during that whole mess with Dartz." Seto stated.

"W-well you ended up with Ishizu."

"Yes, but we actually talked to each other. Never mind that, how goes the recruitment?"

"Yakuo and Genma said they'd be coming, Pegasus will be there of course. O Brien and Jim said they'd make it, and so did Tyranno. Hanasaki said he isn't sure if he could make it, same with Misawa and Saotome. Sorano says he has a duel scheduled that day with Tsutomu."

Kaiba smiled, knowing that many of Judai's friends had all gone Pro after attending his academy. "Isis, you will be attending of course, won't you dear?"

"Seto, you know I had it when you act so unnaturally affectionate."

* * *

Four adults sat around a table, each holding a coffee cup in their hand. This was the home of one Reiko Kitamori. She and Rebecca had become friends sometime after the Project RA incident, and Rebecca was staying with her while in France. Judai and Johan had dropped by for a visit, since Judai had wanted to ask Reiko for a duel.

"So my brother-in-law is holding this Twilight Festival thing at his academy and apparently he's trying to get as many Professional duelists as possible to go, as well as some of Yugi's old friends that he hasn't seen in a while. Apparently he's trying to inflate his massive ego by showing off his new card to the world." Rebecca took a sip of tea. "He's also trying to get the students excited about the chance to duel tons of Pro Duelists as well, and maybe build a little publicity. You two should go."

Judai smiled. "Sounds like fun, Johan and I would love to go."

A young teenager walked into the room with a curious look on her face. She had shoulder length blonde hair and wore a pink sweater. She looked a lot like Rebecca did when she was younger, you could almost mistake her for her daughter if you didn't know any better. "Judai-sama, Johan-sama, I don't mean to be rude, but on behalf of yaoi fangirls everywhere, what exactly is the nature of your relationship?"

"Sharada!" The girl's mother, Reiko Kitamori, gave the two men an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, my daughter reads too much yaoi on the internet. That's it. No more fanfiction . net for you, young lady."

"Hahaha," Johan laughed. "Don't worry about it too much Reiko. We get that all the time."

The girl turned to her mom. "See, they don't mind. Men who are completely confident in their sexuality have no reason to be offended when someone asks such a question."

"One of these days you're going to piss off the wrong person, Sharada." Reiko sweat dropped.

"So, Reiko, do you think you're going to attend the Twilight Festival?" Judai asked.

"Unlikely, I, I haven't spoken to Jonouchi since we broke up. He and Sharada still have a functioning relationship, but I feel so awkward around him."

"That's too bad," Judai stood up. "I was hoping to duel as many people as I could while there. Oh well, looks like we'll just have to duel right here!"

"That's just like you, Judai," Johan said with a laugh.

Kei smirked. "Be careful, Judai, my mother is one of the strongest duelists in the world!"

Reiko smiled as she activated her Duel Disk. "I'd like the first move if you don't mind!"

* * *

Yuu sat in a small cafe, watching the play on TV. "Hikaru looks so beautiful, he stated." He watched solemnly, as he remembered his deal with the Space Time Witch. In exchange for Pikachu, the power to save Naota, he was forbidden from seeing his two best friends until he could find another suitable price to pay. Now he was on a journey to pay that price, and earn the right to see them again. "I swear to God you guys, I will see you again." He glanced down at a map Yuuko had given him. Eight locations were circled, and he had visited three. he was on his way to the fourth, but it was taking a while. He had been told to visit them in order, and this required zig-zagging back and forth across an ocean.

* * *

"I attack you directly with Dewdark of the Ice Barrier, causing my Battlefield Tragedy's to mill 10 cards from my deck. Since I sent three Wulf Lightsworn Beasts from my deck to the graveyard I get to Special Summon them all instead. I then use Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment so that I can't take damage from card effects. My first Wulf Kamikazes your Flame Wingman." Wulf and Wingman exchanged blows, only for them both to be destroyed. "Now go, Wulf, attack Sparkman!"

"I activate Spark barrier. When a Sparkman I control is selected as an attack target, I can remove an Elemental Hero Fusion from my graveyard and give Sparkman 300 attack x its level until the endphase, so Sparkman gains 1800 attack points."

"I activate Trap Jammer, negating your Trap card. My attack continues and my third Wulf follows up." One Wulf quickly clawed through Sparkman, while the next hit him directly.

**Judai 0  
Reiko 3250**

"See, I told you my mother was good." Sharada pumped her fist into the air. "She's even better than the great Yugi Muto!"

Reiko rubbed her head in embarrassment. "I'm not that great, I just got a little lucky."

"Don't be so modest," Judai told her, you did really well. Hell, I'm surprised you're not higher up on the Pro Circuit."

"Reiko doesn't participate in many professional duels. She prefers a more relaxing and peaceful life style." Rebecca explained.

* * *

Ross and Hikaru both faced a young actor who was playing the villain. His character, the Great wizard Amon, had managed to summon Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord and attack four times, sending four pieces of Exodia to the graveyard. Through this and a few other tricks, he had boosted his monster's attack to 7000. One more attack and that wouldn't matter though. he'd get an instant win.

Naota gulped as he watched. "I'd hate to face that thing," he said to himself. "It seems so scary."

"Watashi no taan! Du-raw!" Hikaru reached for her next card. "I activate the Spell card Hope of Light. This allows me to summon a Light Monster from my hand without sacrifices. So I bring out Holy Breaker Dragon!" (3000/2500) "Her effect allows me to reduce the attack of all Dark Monsters on the field by one half! Now, I activate Dragon Burst, giving a Dragon i control 200 extra attack times its level, making my monsters attack go up to 3800, enough to attack you and deal 300 points of damage!" Her dragon unleashed a stream of energy with a mighty roar.

"I'll go," Ross said, grabbing his next card.

* * *

Morganna walked through the academy. "I can't believe it, this many people found dead. Surely those idiots couldn't actually think it'd be safe to go on a killing spree. What the fuck is going on?"

"Talking to yourself?" Sneered an angry voice. Morganna rolled her eyes at the offending duelist. "Oh don't give me that look, I know you're happy to see me."

"Aiko, what are you doing here?"

"I've come to challenge you to a duel!" She said as she drew six cards.

"I forfeit, you win." Morganna said tonelessly

"Do NOT mock me," the girl angrily activated a Field Spell card. "Mystic Garden of the Hanaculi. Once per turn I remove a Hanaculus from my deck," she pulled a card from her deck and set it aside, "and Special Summon it during my next standby phase! Then, I activate Mystic Seed. I can Special Summon two Level 3 or lower monsters from my hand and you can bring out a Level 7 or higher from your deck!" Aiko selected two cards. "I bring out Fear Blossom (200/0) and Drain Rose (100/0) once per turn, Fear Blossom lets me draw whenever I bring out a Hanaculus!" Aiko drew as she watched her two monsters bloom. "Now, each of my hanaculi get three counters and they multiply their attacks by the number of Hanaculi I control, raising their respective attacks to 200 and 400! I set a card and end my turn."

Morganna was too busy laughing as she pointed at her monster. "Someone is in a rush, aren't they? You don't even want to hear about the monster you let me Special Summon?" He had short white hair and wore a red cloak with a black scarf that wrapped around his neck. "Say hello to Raven Blaster- Kariya!" (2500/800) "His effect is unlike the other Raven Blasters. When summoned or Special Summoned, I can discard any number of spells from my hand and inflict 300 damage to your for each. Then, for every two cards discarded, I get one from my deck. So by discarding three cards, I inflicted 900 damage and drew one."

**Aiko 3100**

Morganna drew another card, signifying her turn's start. "Kariya is a Wind Type, so I equip him with Aerossault Blade. This raises his attack by 1000! (**3500****/800)** Now I'll have him attack your Fear Blossom!"

"I activate Parasite Worm! This card destroys the attacking monster and inflicts his attack to you as damage!"

"What?" Morganna watched a worm materialize and tunnel through Kariya's stomach, drilling a hole through his body. The Raven Blaster fell over dead.

**Morganna 500**

"That card. Where did, how did. It's supposed to be incredibly rare.**"**

"Yes, it is." Aiko laughed. **"**Hahahaha, that look on your face. you're squirming. It's priceless, I love it!**"**

"I set two cards and end my turn!"

Aiko grabbed a new card from her deck and smiled. "My Garden **b**rings out Slayer Bougainvillea! (600/0) Then, my garden gives each of these monsters a 100 attack point boost. of course, my other Hanaculi have their effects activate as well. Fear Blossom (700/0) gives me a new card and Drain Rose (400/0) gives me my new hanaculus' attack as Life Points!"

**Aiko 3700**

The challenger smiled at her massive advantage. "Morganna, I will never understand how a fool like you beat Ryou. He is my target and mine only. Attack directly, Slayer!" (1900/0)

"There are miles between your skill level and mine." Morganna announced. "Someone as weak as you could never comprehend my strength. "Trap card hatsudou! Raven's Lament. This card allows me to copy the effect of a trap card in your graveyard whenever I am about to take a direct attack. It simply requires that i remove from play two spells in my graveyard each time. So I steal parasite Worm!"

Aiko winced as her Slayer was munched on by a worm. It crunched through her clothes first, and then began eating her body as she screamed in pain.

"My, you, I will make you pay for that!"

**Aiko 1800**

"Then I attack with,"

Morganna smiled. "Turn Jump moves the game forward a few turns, skipping everything we would normally do. However, your Hanaculi need spells to keep them nourished, don't they? They wilt and die without any magic."

Aiko gasped as her monsters turned brown. During the time jump, they had lost all Alchemy Counters, and were now dead. "I activate my Garden's effect, removing a new Hanaculus from my deck. Then I set two cards and end my turn."

Morganna simply drew her card. "I feel like this duel has gone on long enough! I activate Heavy Storm, destroying all the cards on the field!"

"Magic Jammer lets me discard a card to negate that effect!"

Morganna sighed as she looked over her hand. She wished she had the right Raven Blaster in her hand so she could reuse Heavy Storm's effect. "Oh well, looks like I'll just risk it all. I mean, so what if I lose. No big deal, right?" She grabbed her card. "I summon Raven Blaster Akira (1400/1000) And equip him with Flarelance Blazer! This card gives a Raven Blaster + 1500 attack when he attacks, so long as I remove an Equip Spell from my graveyard. So go, Burning Spear Impaler!" The Raven Blaster charged forward, with wildly waving hair and a burning spear.

"Contagion of Madness deals you half the damage of the attacking monster!" Aiko cried.

**Morganna 0**

**Aiko 0**

The holograms vanished as the duel ended in a tie. "Huh, a draw? Cool. I haven't had one of those in a while. See you later, Aiko," Morganna said as she waved goodbye.

"Hey, come back here, I'm not done with you!" Aiko cried angrily.

* * *

Yuu watched the play continue as he sat in the cafe.

Ross drew a card and smiled. "I activate Monster Reborn. This card lets me revive Black Luster Soldier so that I can activate Polymerization to fuse him with Gaia the Fierce Knight and Performance of Sword to summon Ultimate Knight- Master Keiora!" (5000/2800) A long haired blonde appeared, surrounded by twenty three swords of various colors. He has a golden chainmail and blue cape. A fiery aura surrounded him. "He can attack three times in one turn, and when he attacks, he gains half the target's attack points. And when he destroys a monster in battle, your Life Points are cut in half! Go, Royal Blur!"

The duo had taken care of Exodius on their previous turn, but then the villain had summoned a Five God Dragon, Shinato, and Dark Strike Fighter before fusing them into Ultimate Fiend Chimera- Dark Angelus Dragon!" (7500/5000)

"Too bad those cards aren't real," he told himself. "I bet Naota would be scared though."

Watching back in the audience. "Good things those cards aren't real, they're scary. I bet Yuu would love them though."

As Yuu watched, he smiled to himself. "I bet Naota realizes that I'd love those cards. he's probably thinking about me right now."

The rest of the duel continued for a few minutes before wrapping itself up. Overall, Naota didn't really like this year's play as much as the last. It had been a retelling of the story of Puss in Boots with duels added in for fun. It was a lot better than it sounded.

The cast took a final bow before the curtains fell.

* * *

"Where am I?" Lucian asked himself as he held his head in pain. "The last thing I remember..."

The Wicked Shadow's voice rang through his head. "I want you to defeat him and steal his Starlight Sorcerer cards."

He held a picture of an Osiris Red student in his hand. "Naota Yamaguchi." He said to himself.

"Oh, you're looking for Naota?" Said a silver haired boy from behind him. Takuya grinned at Lucian. "I see, _she _must have sent you. How is she by the way? She ever find the Wicked Gods?"

Lucian stared pretty blankly. He didn't seem to be able to register much of what was going on.

"He's that way," Takuya pointed.

* * *

Ross, Hikaru, and Naota were walking together and chatting. Isamu, Nayuta, Emi, and Eirin all said they had other things to do. "You were amazing guys." Naota told them. "I wish I could have been part of the play."

"Well, if you don't mind adding more things to your schedule, Hikaru and I can probably do our best to help you practice for next year."

The actors had slipped out of their costumes and into more casual clothing. Hikaru wore a pink sweater that kept her warm in the evening air, while Ross wore a brown T-shirt and camo shorts.

Hikaru grinned. "I don't know. I mean, that was tough. I think I need a break from acting until next year. i have no idea how professionals can handle it all the time."

Ross grinned at the friends as he rubbed his upper lip. It felt a little odd, but he laughed. "So, what are you guys up to now? Hungry? I was thinking we could all get sushi or something."

Hikaru shook her head. "Thanks Ross, but I'm fine. I'm just going to go head back to my room and read a book or something. I think I'm getting delayed stage fright or something. Ciao."

"What about you?' Ross asked Naota.

"Nah, I'm fine." he said with a smile. "Thanks though." The three were about to part ways when someone stumbled across their path.

"Naota? Naota Yamaguchi?" He asked groggily.

"Ummm, yes, who is asking?" Naota asked.

The man, Lucian looked up at him with a grin. Ross scowled and stepped between Naota and the man. "Be careful Naota. This guy is a card thief. He's on the FBI's most wanted list. They can't ever seem to catch him though, he's too elusive."

Hikaru recognized the man as well. "What's a scum bag like you doing on the island?"

"I'm here to duel Naota and steal his deck," Lucian explained. His voice sounded distant and phantasmal.

"Not happening," Ross stepped forward and threw a punch at the man. Despite being groggy, Lucian's counter attack was well executed. he caught the boy's fist and raised his knee directly into Ross' groin, crushing his nuts like grapes in wine press. Ross dropped to the ground, holding his crotch in pain, whimpering in agony.

"Ross!" Hikaru cried. She spun quickly, kicking the man in his side before he could do anything. "Naota, run and go get campus security!"

"I think I'd rather just duel him." Naota said as he stpped forward, activating his Duel Disk. "Mind if I go first?"

Lucian laughed as he drew five cards and looked over his hand. "Sure, kid. When I win, your cards are mine." He didn't bother hiding the glee on his face. _'Exodius on my first turn, along with Painful Choice, Magical Merchant_, _Instant Flip_, _and Heavy Storm. That means my Exodius will have atleast 4000 attack. Whatever he has ready for me, I'm bound to win.'_

Naota drew a sixth card. "I set two cards and summon Starlight Sorcerer- Adelaar (1600/1000). Next, I use Mischief of the Time Goddess, skipping to the battlephase of my next turn, allowing my monster to attack directly!"

"What?" The man gasped as he was kicked in the stomach.

**Lucian 2400**

"Then, since it's been a turn since it was set, I activate my facedown Zero Sprite. It equips to my monster and reduces her attack to 0 but allows her to perform a second attack. It attacks again and I activate my facedown Starlight Arria Trap card. When a Starlight Sorcerer who has had its attack reduced declares an attack, I can discard a Spellcaster from my hand. The attacking monster's attack is returned to normal for this turn, and it gains half the attack of its discarded friend. And since I'm discarding Shiki, who has 3000 attack**, **my monster has its attack boosted to 3100!"

**Lucian 0**

The man was shocked. "I didn't even get a turn." He stared at Naota angrily. "I'm still taking your deck." he said as he approached angrily.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," said the Wicked Shadow as she materialized from a swirling portal of darkness.**  
**

* * *

**Sorry that chapter was a little off, but it was mostly filler. And now the play is over, finally. I wasn't sure whether to focus on it more or not, but it seemed kind of pointless to make a big deal out of it.**

**Anyway I think I might be taking a break before my next update.  
**


	53. A Shining Shadow

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or R or Powerpuff Girls or Z or Nanoha  
**

**Yes, Hikaru's new trump card is a little broken, but it's not too bad.**

**Also, lol, I just looked up the lyrics to the final GX opening theme.  
**

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When she was young, Hikaru loved watching the Powerpuff Girls. Something about ass kicking females really inspired her. She wanted to be brave and strong and kick butt like Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. So, as many children did, she pretended to be fearless. When lightning struck terror into her heart, she hid her fear behind a smile. She different masks whenever she needed them. Cockiness, happiness, whatever she could muster. When it was dark and things went bump in the night, she'd say "I'm alright." There wasn't really anything unnatural there.

She stopped hiding her fear from her parents when she was ten. A man had broken into her house and attacked her parents. Her father had fought the intruder off, but broke down crying. Her mother had been hurt in the attack, and though she was fine, her father had been scared to lose her. She decided it was okay to admit to her fear. But it was different in front of Naota. She always pretended to be brave around him. The cowardly boy brought out a protective side of her that wanted to wrap him in her arms forever.

Even though he seemed to be doing fine against Lucian mere moments ago, Naota was obviously scared now. The mysterious female before them emitted a malevolent glow around her body, and Naota was shaking. unable to move. Hikaru was frightened as well, after all, who wouldn't be? But she smiled cockily for Naota's sake. "Ta-kun, run and go get campus security. I'll protect Ross." She eyes Ross, who was still squirming on the grass, nursing his injured manhood.

"I'm not leaving you alone," he told her.

"Just go!" She growled.

Lucian looked at the Wicked Shadow in confusion. "He's just a kid. I can still take him and get his deck for you."

She shook her head. "I have no need for his deck. I merely wished to see how a duel between you two would proceed. Of course, he managed to draw the perfect hand to defeat you with ease." She placed her hand on Lucian's head and twisted it 180°. There was a sickening crunch of bones and a thud as his lifeless body fell limp. Naota let out a grunt of despair as the acid shot up through his throat. He stumbled backwards, trying to get away.

"Hurry up, Naota, hurry and go." Hikaru ordered. Naota nodded as he struggled to his feet and began running toward a campus building. He felt his knees shaking, but he wanted to get help before anything happened to Hikaru or Ross.

"Hikaru, Maulding," the Wicked Shadow stepped backward. "There is no need for such fear. You two are much more valuable to me alive."

It was a sick and twisted reminder of their helplessness, they were dancing in the palms of other people's hands. They had no idea what they were doing and they ended up acting like stupid little puppets, who only served to further their opponents goals. "I just wish to have a friendly duel with the two of you."

Hikaru activated her Duel Disk and stepped forward with a smile. "Well, Ross is a bit indisposed at the moment," she said, signaling her friend.

"No, I think they're better now," Ross told her as he jumped to his feet. "I'm a jock, it'll take more then a little kick to the balls to take me out of the fight. Hell, my friends have done worse just for laughs."

"Still," Hikaru forwned. "Naota is more important, in case I lose and she does try something, he needs someone to take care of him."

"And shouldn't that someone be you, his best friend?" Ross reminded her. "Look, let me duel her, and you go join up with Naota."

"Enough with the boring crap. 'Oh let me be the one to sacrifice myself.' Screw it, Hikki, you're my opponent. You can make the first move!"

Hikaru drew her card and smiled. Even though they had never been released as an archetype, the Maho Shoujo cards had a lot of members. As such, she did enjoy switching them, around every now and again. "I summon Maho Shojou Momoko!" (1000/1000) An orange haired girl spun onto the field. She wore a pink dress and a pink ribbon in her hair. "When she's in attack mode, I can use her Monster Effect . Once a turn I may select one card at random in your hand each turn. If its a spell you have to discard it and I gain 1000 Life Points!" She pointed forward. "Middle card!"

The wicked Shadow casually flipped it, revealing a black orb. "Monster card, the Wicked Avatar."

"Wicked Avatar?" Hikaru thought the name sounded vaguely familiar.

"I don't like the sound of that," Ross told her.

"I set two cards and end my turn."

"Mein taan!" The Wicked Shadow drew. "Kaado san mai setto!" She said, placing htree cards face down.

"Hey, pick a language and stick to it!" Hikaru replied.

"I activate Foolish burial, sending the Wicked Dreadroot from my deck to my graveyard."

"Wicked Dreadroot?' Hikaru repeated.

"Hikaru be careful!" Ross yelled. "Those things are said to rival the Gods!"

"A what?" Hikaru gasped. Suddenly, she could feel the pressure choking her, making her weak.

The Wicked Shadow fanned through her deck and instantly grabbed the card she wanted, setting it in the graveyard. She shuffled quickly and replaced the cards in her disk. "Ash Incendiu Shokan!" (0/0) A red orb of fire burned into existence, cackling as its light danced around, playing with the shadows like puppets. "Taan Endo!"

Hikau drew her card. _"I could summon, but I'd rather play it safe. And she has two cards in her hand, one is the Wicked Avatar, what could the other be?' _She pointed at the her opponent's left most card. "My Maho Shojou activates her Monster effect! Spell Synthesis!"

Light surrounded the Wicked Shadow's card as she revealed it to Hikaru. "The Wicked Eraser!"

Then it came back to her. The three Wicked Gods, said to rival the God card in strength. And here she was going head to head with a deck containing all three. Still, using monsters like that would require immense skill. "Miyako, Epic Flail!" Momoko pulled out a yoyo that she swung around at high velocities, generating a small tornado that twirled toward her opponent's ash monster.

"Wana Kaado Hatsudou! Chaos Form! I equip it to my monster. Now, when attacked, its attack and defense become equal to that of a random monster in my graveyard. And there's only one monster!" The orb grew in size, taking the shape of Dreadroot, a large horned demon with wings. (4000/4000) "Strike down her monster, Flare Knockdown!" A burning hand crushed Miyako from above, squashing Hikaru's Life Points as a wave of fire rippled outward, knocking both her and Ross over.

**Hikaru 1000**

"I'll use my own trap card. Legacy Inheritance. I can Special summon a monster with the same type and an equal or lower level than the destroyed one. Come on out, Maho Shoujo Emi!" (1200/1100) "Her effect allows me to draw a card. Then I use it from my hand! Dimension Magic lets me tribute Emi to bring out Maho Shojou Megumi (2500/1200) "And your monster is destroyed!" Megumi's long black hair glimmered as blue ribbons of light enveloped the fiery monsters, dragging him to the depths of Hell. "Direct attack, Megumi Sparkle!"

**Wicked Shadow 1500**

"Your move!"

"And it's all over. I activate my face down Call of the Haunted. Incendiu Tokushu Shokan!" (0/0) "Next, Ash Suflet Shokan!" (0/0) A glowing orb of light fell from her hands. "My card's monster effect lets me summon two more from my deck. Suflet Tokushu Shokan!" (0/0) "For each Ash Monster summoned, Incendiu inflicts 300 damage to you!" Three fireballs crashed into Hikaru, severely cutting her Life Points down in size."

**Hikaru 100**

"Next, I use Immortal Class, I offer two of my Suflets. Fu-kkatsu! I summon thee from the depths of hell. Rău Dreadroot!" (4000/4000) The Wicked God rose from the graveyard, and a dark aura spilled onto the field. "He halves the stats of all other monsters on the field!"

"WHAT!" Hikaru could barely breathe. She glanced at Megumi, who seemed to be growing weaker by the second. She could barely stand. (1250/600)

"Dreadroot. Fear's Doborâre!" The demonic God brought his hand down on the helpless Maho Shojou, crushing her.

"Defense Draw reduces Battle Damage to 0 and let's me draw! And Megumi's effect lets me Special Summon Maho Shojo Keiko. (1500/1100). When Special Summoned, she can destroy any monster on the field! So she destroys Dreadroot."

" I activate the Quickplay Chains of Concealing Light. It lets me select a monster on the field. For the next two turns its effect is negated, it can't attack or defend, and it can't be used as a sacrifice or as material for a fusion or synchro summon. Anata-sama no taan." Said the opposing duelist. Chains of black light tied up Keiko.

"Anata-sama?" Hikaru drew her card. "I can't beat that with strength alone. So I'll have to come up with something better." She presented her Pot of Greed card. "I'll draw two cards then set one. Your move!"

"That's all. You dare oppose a God with but a single card?" The Wicked Shadow drew. "Dreadroot attacks directly once more!"

"I activate Super Polymerization. I discard one card in my hand and fuse the other two. By fusing any Maho Shojou with any Dark Monster, I can bring out Maho Shojo Nanoha!" The orange haired girl appeared in a burst of light. "Her attack is equal to the Maho Shojou's + 1000/ Same with her defense!" (3200/2700) "When summoned, her effect activates, immediately skipping to my Battlephase!"

"So, you'll just have to end your turn soon. And then I'll get a new card and a new chance to attack."

"As if I'd let you. First of all, when you control only a single monster, and its stronger than Nanoha, her other effect kicks in. She becomes immune to all your card effects. So she doesn't have her attack halved! She attacks, and I activate the effect of the Dark Cat in my graveyard. i remove it from play when a Dark Monster In control battles another monster, and it gains half that monsters attack!" (5200/2700)

**Wicked Shadow 300**

"I end my turn!" Hikaru explained. "You're lucky she doesn't try to _befriend _your stupid demon.**"**

"Ah, it allows you an extra battle phase if summoned on your turn, can negate effects under the proper circumstances, and can end my turn if that's when you summon it. She seems pretty powerful for something with such open ended summoning requirements. may I inquire about any drawbacks she might have?"

"She can't attack anything with an attack lower than the Maho Shojo used to Fusion Summon her." Hikaru explained. "So any monster you control with less than 2200 attack is safe from her."

The Wicked Shadow drew her card. "Time to show you my strongest cards. I activate Card Destruction, we both discard our hands and draw new cards."

"So you're getting rid of your other Jashin?" Hikaru asked.

"I don't need them!" The Wicked Shadow explained as she drew new cards. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two new cards," her hand size went up as she smiled. "I use Polymerization, fusing the Suflet and Incendiu! Fusion Summon Ash Moarte!" (0/0) A black orb materialized on the field. "I can remove from play any number of Ash Monsters in my graveyard to raise his attack by 800 each until the end of the turn. And I have four. Making his attack go up to 2400! I'll set two cards and end my turn. Then, his effect activates. I get to Special summon a removed from play Ash monster. So I welcome back Incendiu!" (0/0)

"Go, Nanoha attack!"

"I activate Immortal Class, releasing my two monsters to bring back the Wicked Eraser in defense mode!" (2000/2000) The avian dragon rose up and towered over the duelists.

"Huh, why would she fusion summon a monster if this was her plan?" Ross wondered.

"I end my turn!" Hikaru said. She didn't want to risk attacking a Wicked God.

And the Wicked Shadow drew, and smiled as her God melted away into a black puddle of liquid. "I activate the Eraser's effect, destroying itself and taking every card on the field with it!" Darkness engulfed the field and dragged Hikaru and the Wicked Shadow both in.

"Hi-Hikaru. Where are you?" Ross cried out.

Hikaru couldn't hear him. She couldn't see anything either. It was as if all her senses had been cut off.

"I ac-Car-of tity!" Broken and jumbled messages came through. Her deck began to glow as new cards spat themselves at her, raising her hand to six. One card in particular began to sparkle.

"I special summon Kurinin to negate your attack!" (300/200) She heard the sound of shattering glass just as her furball appeared to protect her.

"I set three cards and end my turn," Hikaru's opponent stated as the darkness cleared.

"I draw!"

"And now it's your second standby phase after Moarte was put into the graveyard. We both take damage equal to a monster we control. Since I don't control any, you take 300 damage and I take none."

"I activate Mystic Wok, releasing my monster to gain 300 attack points!"

**Hikaru 400**

"Sorry, whoever you are, oh great cloaked one. But I have to win this duel now. I summon Maho Shojou **Aki! **(1100/1400) "Her effect allows me to take a Maho Shojo in my grave and add it to my hand, soI pick Emi!" Hikaru pointed forward. "Go, direct attack, Autumn Equinox!"

"Hopeless Dream! When you attack directly, I can activate this card to destroy that attacking monster and gain Life Points equal to the attacking monster!"

"I chain Dimension Runes. releasing her to revive Megumi!" (2500/1200) "Attack directly!"

"Go, Sakuretsu Armor! Destroy Megumi!"

"Forgetting her effect? I can bring out a new Maho Shojou from my hand or deck, so come on out Emi!" she drew a card as her favorite draw engine appeared. (1200/1100) "Direct Attack!"

"I activate Widespread Ruin, destroying Emi!" Hikaru cringed as her Maho Shojo was destroyed by another trap.

"Three card set, turn end!"

The Wicked Shadow picked up the next card of her deck. "I use Heavy Storm, destroying all your face downs."

"Not before I activate Maho Shojou Last Gift! I remove from play Megumi to gain 2500 Life Points!"

**Hikaru 2900**

"Then, one of my face downs activates when destroyed. Maho Vortex allows me to Special Summon a removed from play Maho Shojo. So I bring out Megumi!" (2500/1200)

"You duel well, Hikaru. To congratulate you, I offer you this. My name is the Wicked Shadow. Remember it for it will haunt your dreams. I activate the Quickplay Spell, Binding Despair. When one of your cared effects Special Summons a monster, I can use this to inflict its damage to you as attack points! And it lasts the entire turn!"

**Hikaru 400**

"However, if that card is destroyed outside of battle, then I take damage equal to its star level times 200. Then I activate the Spell Card, Ashes in the Wind. By removing from play an Ash monster in my graveyard, I can bring out one from my hand**. **So I summon Ash Rău (0/0) I send it to the graveyard to destroy your monster."

"What!" Maho Shojou Megumi crumbled away, turning to Ash. But The Wicked Shadow's Life Points dropped.

**Wicked Shadow 0**

"Looks like it's over!"

**Hikaru 0**

"But how?" Ross gasped.

"My Rău forces optional effects to activate, so you have to Special Summon a monster. Then, my Binding Despair's effect activates." The Wicked Shadow began walking away, fading into darkness. "Hikaru, get stronger. If you don't you won't be able to protect the world the next time we duel. Next time, I won't go easy on you just because you're cute."

* * *

Naota gasped for air as he ran into the building. "Please, help!" He called out to the security. Then he noticed the blood splattered all over the wall and the dead security guards piled on top of each other.

**

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Meh, I didn't like that duel all that much.**


	54. Nayuta vs Haseo

**Author's Notes: I'm back.**

**Anyway, here are the reasons I haven't updated**

**1) I bit off more than I can chew. I have too many people doing too many things, and everyone plans to betray each other in the end. So I can't figure out how to make it all work out. But I'm trying.**

**2) Ris is an important part of the plot (Though really I could have easily written this story without it) and my plans for it are a LOT like what 5D'S was doing with Momentum and Clear Mind and stuff, so I had to avoid going too far against canon. I've been trying to think of a way to make Ris slightly more original. (Side note, Ris was named after the flower iris, I just dropped the first letter.)**

**3) I broke one of the cardinal rules of fanfiction and based a character on a friend. A friend I missed a lot. Found him on facebook, said hi, e chatted a few times, and then he stopped talking to me. My fault really, I should have taken the hint and realized he didn't want to talk to me, but I guess I kept pestering him. Maybe I should ask his boyfriend to deliver an apology...nah best leave it alone before I make it worse. (Errr, I _think _they're dating. 99.9999% sure actually)  
Anyway, I've been acting like a whiny emo bitch because of it.  
**

**4) Computer troubles. I keep losing all my notes about card effects. I need to be more organized.**

**5) I'm lazy. Very, very lazy.  
**

**Also, yes, I realize this contradicts Clamp canon. But this crossover makes no sense anyway. Also, anyone want to see Yugi vs Eriol?**

**Oh and I suck at onomatopoeia, any tips?  
**

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Naota's stomach drained onto the carpet. "H-hey, what's going on here? What happened?" Another security guard arrived on the scene, responding to a distress call. He looked at Naota, expecting an answer from the shaken boy.

"I-someone attacked me and my friends. I came to get help." Naota sat on his knees, shaking in fear. He could barely move. _'D-dammit. Now is not the time to wuss out.'_

"Where are your friends?"

* * *

The Wicked Shadow picked up the dead man by his collar. "Lucian, you pathetic fool. Letting yourself fall so easily." A dark fire began to lick his feet, spreading out from his shadow. It began consuming his body, tickling his flesh. His head began to turn back to a normal position. Bones crunched back into place. Life returned to his dead eyes. "Where...what?" Incomplete questions escaped his darkened lips.

"Hmph," the Wicked Shadow smirked. "I have decided to spare your life, _ningen_." She turned to Ross and Hikaru. "We shall depart now," she held her palm out and commanded a swilring portal to open with a _shrrriiiip._She stepped through, leading a confused Lucian by the hand.

"You okay?" Hikaru huffed to Ross.

"Mentally, I'm stable, physically, my nuts could use some ice."

* * *

Nayuta had taken a detour on her way back to the Ra Yellow dormitories, stopping by a lone tree in the middle of a sea of grass. She traced her fingers across the initials carved there, some in tiny little hearts, others crowded beneath umbrellas. _MM + HS, SP + JJ, PM + VH, JA + JY, JH + DB, JYB + CV_, _TP + MS_; and many others all decorated the tree. School legend claimed that if a couple carved their initials there under the light of a full moon, their love would be eternal. For some reason she loved that idea.

"You thinking of someone?" Taunted a voice. Nayuta immediately recognized it.

"Ryou!" She gasped.

He wasn't wearing his usual outfit. Instead, a purple shirt with gold collar and white markings covered his upper body, stopping at his waist where he wore red shorts with white cloth spilling out, falling behind his legs and taking the shape of flower petals. "You can call me Haseo."

_'Wow, this guy really loves .hack. Though, why dress like Endrance if you're naming yourself Haseo?' _Nayuta shook her head. "Umm, Ryou, I don't mean to offend you, or sound homophobic, but do you have any clue how gay outfit that looks? Not that there's anything wrong with being gay, or anything."

"How unfortunate that you don't seem to truly understand fashion," 'Haseo' lamented with a long sigh. "Still, you aren't completely useless. How would you like to duel me?"

"D-duel you?" Nayuta stepped backward. How could she duel Ryou? He was one of the school's top students. There's no way she could win. Though, in all the movies, dueling someone was always the way to save them no matter what. Someone is dying of cancer? Beat the cancer in a duel and all of a sudden you're good as new! "Alright, let's duel."

* * *

Naota sat in the corner of the nurse's office. The security guard had called for someone to take him there, and had someone else go find Hikaru and Ross. The three had been lead to the nurse's, where Ross had been handed an ice pack for his testicles. He put the pack on his crotch and rested on a bed.

"The counselor will be here in a second to talk to you two," the nurse said. She had already checked Naota, Ross, and Hikaru for serious injuries. They seemed relatively fine, though Naota's chest hurt from pushing his body a bit too far. His heart pounded painfully in his chest.

"I'm fine," Hikaru told her. "Just make sure Naota's alright."

"I'm fine too," Naota responded. "I've been through worse trauma."

"Worse than seeing someone murdered before your eyes and then seeing a bunch of dead bodies?" Ross remembered the sickening feeling in his stomach as he heard Lucian's neck snap. It was still hard to believe he could have been brought back after that. It was even harder to explain. in the end, he and Hikaru decided to explain things as they saw them, and let the adults create their own reasons for everything. They'd probably chalk it up to advanced holograms. Or something.

"Hey, Hikaru, is something wrong?" Ross asked, noticing the look of displeasure on her face.

"It's just, the Wicked Shadow sounds so familiar. I swear I've heard her voice before."

Ross shifted around, trying to get comfortable. "Well, didn't Naota say he fought Thorn, who turned out to be one of the bad guys? Maybe he wasn't the only Pro working for the dark side." At this point,t he nurse was on the phone with someone, so it was okay to talk.

"Perhaps, but there aren't many female Pros." Hikaru frowned, "and I can't place her voice as any of them."

"Maybe it's someone we know personally," Naota grimaced.

"That could be it."

* * *

'Haseo' laughed. "Let the duel commence. When Skeith feasts upon your despair he'll finally be ushered into this world."

"God I hate when possession screws with someone's personality and their friends need to beat the shit out of them to save them." Nayuta drew five cards. Suddenly, her deck began to glow as she drew a sixth. O Fortuna, the mysterious gift she had been given. Its text had mystified her, _Your opponent may not call upon the powers of darkness for the remainder of the duel. _"Well, looks like I might as well activate this. Go, O Fortuna!"

Light flooded the space between the two duelists. 'Haseo' covered his burning eyes to shield them from pain. "What's going on?" He demanded. His card's blank faces were filling out.

"You wench!" Skeith spoke through Ryou's lips, temporarily claiming the body as his own. "Where did you get that card?"

"It was a gift from some friends."

"Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way." he grumbled.

Nayuta smiled. "I summon Velonica Gunner!" (1900/1200)

"Foolish move. You should have saved your card for my monsters. With a card destruction effect, you could have cleared my defenses for an all out assault and gone for a direct attack. Now I'll just have to destroy your monster and I'll be rid of its power." The duelist formerly known as Ryou smirked.

"I end my turn."

"A tactic that surely would have worked on Ryou. He'd be afraid and that fear would paralyze him, preventing an attack. But to blaze forward I must destroy you and reap your despair. I activate Archfiend Garden!" Black vines and barren trees invaded the field, spreading like fast growing weeds. Nayuta felt a thorn cut into the side of her ankle as a thick vine rolled past her. The Earth burst apart as decayed arms stretched toward the moon. The girl smiled, almost impressed by the scene. "Next I summon Archfiend Woodrot" (2100/0) The demonic black tree burst from the ground, its creepy grin ever present. Its limbs swayed in an almost natural manner, caressing the image of the girl before him.

'Haseo' began to explain his Field Spell's effect. "Now that I have summoned a Dark Plant monster, my Garden gains a Hell Counter and you gain an Archfiend Seedling in attack mode."

"Okay, that's bad," Nayuta admitted as a small sapling grew on her field. It was like her opponent would be allotted a free direct attack!

"Luckily for you, I'm targeting your Velonica Gunner because its a bigger threat. Unluckily for you, all Archfiend Plants gain 100 attack and defense per Hell Counter on my garden!" [Archfiend Woodrot 2200/100] "Go, turn that gunner into mulch."

The silver haired woman grabbed the pistols at her side and began emptying round after round into the tree. Bullets passed through, bursting in and out with little effort and less effect. The tree, wrapped its branches around her and shoved the helpless woman into its mouth, crunching her into food, and swallowing her as her screams escaped into the night.

"Okay, what Kaiba Corp idiot decided it was a good idea to make the cards scream in freaking pain? That detracts from the fun of it all." Nayuta complained.

**Nayuta 3700**

"I set two cards and end my turn," 'Haseo' announced. He basked in the glow of the moonlight, watching as Nayuta's face convulsed in worry.

_'Be careful. You mustn't get too complacent or she'll win,' _Skeith warned.

Nayuta drew her next card. "I'll start by putting that damn sapling in defense mode! Then, I activate the Spellcard Bakurock! I can revive a card in my graveyard for one turn, but only if it died last turn. In addition it can activate a once per turn effect infinitely this turn so long as I pay 1000 Life Points for each additional effect. as a drawback, it can't attack unless its a Velonica card, but you know me, right? Come on out, Velonica Gunner!" (1900/1200)

Light from the moon illuminated silver droplets of water that danced on the grass. They gathered and formed a puddle, which in turn took the shape of the fallen Velonica Gunner. "Now I pay 3000 Life Points and send 4 Velonica Cards from my deck to the graveyard to destroy every card on your field!"

Water erupted beneath the gunner's feet, forming a geyser that carried her into the sky. She jumped off and rained bullets from above, like a divine angel carrying out God's judgment. Against the backdrop of the moon, her beauty was unsurpassed. 'Haseo' growled in anger.

**Nayuta 700**

"You're a fool! That move cost 3000 Life Points!"

"Trust me when I say it was worth it. I activate the spell card Sakura Kiss. By discarding a card from my hand I can gain 1000 Life Points. But I'll discard a Velonica Card to raise my Life Points by an extra 700!"

**Nayuta: 2400**

"Why do you always do that?" 'Haseo' asked.

"Do what?"

"Explain the first part of your card's effect, which won't apply at all, then explain the effect that will apply because you're using a stupid Velonica Card."

"It's just in case you use a card to steal it from my graveyard. I don't want you bitching because you don't like it's normal effect." Nayuta looked at her last card. "Sadly, Bakurock prevents me from using a normal summon this turn." _'Not that it matters. I don't have another monster. Crap, just one card left. If I get bad draws I'm screwed.'_

_'She's worried,' _Skeith told his host, _'I can taste it.'_

"Gun his ass down!" Nayuta didn't care if her battle cry sounded ridiculous. 'Haseo' braced himself as bullets riddled his body.

**Haseo: 2100**

"Ore no taan," the white haired duelist drew his card. Velonica Gunner melted into a puddle, leaving a single sapling as Nayuta's only defense. _'If my garden were still around, she'd take 100 damage per plant on the field when I destroyed that, but it doesn't matter. I'll destroy it this turn and obliterate her next.' _He easily picked a card from his arsenal. "AIDA Virus Decimal." (0/0) "In defense mode." Bubbles of black and blue began appearing and popping on Ryou's field. "Next, I activate .hack/ /Infection. I can only use this if I control an AIDA monster. I destroy a monster you control and draw a card."

The Archfiend sapling distorted and warped, fading from existence as Nayuta drew a card. "B-but, what the, AIDA is from the GU trilogy, Infection was one of the original games! That makes no freaking sense!" She protested.

"...That's what you're worried about?"

_'She's a strange one,' _Skeith commented.

"I activate .hack/ / Mutation. I release an AIDA Virus monster I control to Special Summon another from my hand. So it's goodbye Decimal and hello AIDA Virus Killer, in attack mode!" (0/0) "But Decimal's effect returns him to my hand with 1000 Life Points!" A misshapen blob appeared on his field.

**Haseo: 3100**

"Next, I use my monster's effect. Once per turn I can remove a Dark monster in my grave to give it a permanent power boost. I'll remove the Woodrot in my graveyard to increase Killer's attack by 1000. Attack her directly!" Bits of the blob broke off, forming bullets that pierced Nayuta's side, nearly forcing a scream out of her lips.

**Nayuta: 1400**

"I'll set a card and end my turn."

Nayuta whispered a rhyming prayer as she drew. She now had two cards, and she'd need to play well if she wanted to survive and (hopefully) save Ryou. "I remove from play seven Velonica cards in my graveyard to Special Summon Kumikyoku Dragon!" (4000/0) Nayuta could hear an instrumental version of Aya Hirano's God Knows playing in her head as the mighty multi-winged dragon flew into the sky. "I equip him with the spell card Smiling Chorus and attack your monster with Smiling Meteor Breath!"

The dragon inhaled and unleashed a stream of meteors upon the Virus, but the monstrosity easily weathered the attack.

**Haseo 100**

"Killer can't be killed in battle. However, any monster that battles him is destroyed immediately. And you'll be wide open."

"Oh?" Nayuta smirked as she raised her arm in triumph. "I activate the effect of Smiling Chorus, when the equipped Velonica monster is destroyed by card effect, I draw two cards from my deck." She grabbed her new cards and immediately set them.

"I activate Graceful Charity, so I can draw three cards and discard two. Then I'll immediately remove from play my AIDA Virus Decimal in the graveyard to activate .hack/ / Outbreak, which lets me Special Summon any AIDA monster from my deck. So I'll bring out AIDA Virus Axanthic!" (0/0) A warrior rose on 'Haseo's' field. He had a black armored body with a fancy white suit covering his right half. His face was a blank mask of no emotions. "I can equip him with a card from my hand and gain that monster's stats and abilities. So I choose Scythe Sakura!" (2000/2000) "Furthermore, I'll remove from play the other monster I discarded with Graceful Charity and raise Killer's attack to 2000. Now go, my AIDA monsters, attack!"

Nayuta quickly activated her trap card. "Go, chAngE! I can send one card on my field to the graveyard and draw a card from my deck, two if I sent a Velonica card. So I'll get rid of my face down to draw two new cards!" She smirked as she drew exactly what she needed. "Then, since I drew it during my battle phase, I can Special Summon Velonica Bubblepop!" (0/0) An electrically charged bubble appeared on Nayuta's field, popping as Axanthic chopped through it with a rather large sword.

"By discarding a Velonica card from my hand, my monster remains on the field!" She explained.

"Go, Killer, pop that bubble like a zit."

Nayuta watched as her bubble popped again. It wasn't able to reform this time, but she didn't need it to. "I draw." A piercing pain suddenly shot through her body, but she ignored it as she grabbed her card. "I activate Garuda! You choose a monster you control and inflict damage to me equal to half its attack. Then I pick up cads from my deck equal to that monster's level. I get to keep all Velonica cards."

"Then I pick my Level 4 Killer, with 2000 attack points!"

Nayuta bit her tongue as pain washed over her and she picked up four cards,

**Nayuta 400**

"They're all Velonica cards. I activate Mr. Twister first, which lets me discard a Velonica card to remove from play something you control. So bye-bye killer!" A small tornado blew AIDA Virus Killer away. "Then I use Calling to Special Summon a Velonica card from my hand and give it immunity from any form of destruction for a turn, so I bring out a second Velonica Gunner (1900/1200) And I use her effect to blow away your Axanthic."

"Sorry, but Axanthic's effect negates destruction by using the equipped Scythe Saura as a shield. In addition, I gain the destroyed monster's attack as Life."

**Haseo 2100**

"Then my Gunner will attack your defenseless monster!"

Both duelists watched Velonica Gunner as she utterly destroyed the helpless Axanthic.

**Haseo 200**

"Looks like I've doubled my Life Points," 'Haseo' pointed out, knowing it would annoy Nayuta. "My turn," he drew a card. "I use Spellbooks Inside the Pot, allowing us both to draw three cards. Next, I remove from play two AIDA monsters to Special Summon Ovan." (0/0) The blue haired man sent chills down Nayuta's spine with his icy glare. "I'll normal summon Abyss Flower (750/400) and dark Tune them. The flower began screaming into pain as he was torn apart for the ceremony. "As I bring forth death, now shall he bring forth my salvation. Come, rebirth. Dark Synchro Summon, the final avatar, Corbenik!" (0/0)

The plant monster descended upon the field with a smile. "I discard one dark monster from my hand to reduce your Gunner's stats to 0." A dark aura surrounded Velonica Gunner, making her sick. She fell to the ground in pain.

"You still can't destroy her, and next turn she'll blow Corbenik away, assuming he doesn't have protection from effects."

"He doesn't. But that is okay. I'll have him attack your monster since he can't be destroyed in battle. I just want to activate his effect and raise my Life Points by the attack of the monster I just discarded, a second Archfiend Woodrot!"

**Haseo 2300**

"I'll set a card and end my turn!"

"So, if I attack your monster with anything that has less than 2100 attack, you just end up gaining life? Guess I'll have to blast it away! Go, Velonica Gunner. Rain bullets on his parade!" Velonica Gunner fired awkwardly. She was still sick, but she aimed well enough to put a bullet in Corbenik's head. The monster shattered, making the sound of breaking glass. Shards of the monster's image flew into Nayuta, stabbing her in the gut.

"When destroyed by effect, Corbenik halves your Life Points."

**Nayuta 200**

"I set two cards and summon Velonica Scientist!" **(1500/1300) **"Now each Velonica monster I control gets 200 extra attack for each Velonica card I control. Gunner goes up to 400, while Scientist goes up to 1900. Attack with Science Show!" The beautiful scientist threw an exploding beaker at 'Haseo' but he was ready for it. "I activate the trap card .hack/ / Quarentine. By removing an AIDA monster from play after I take damage, I can destroy the monster that attacked me."

Velonica Scientist began turning staticky, like an unclear TV image. Soon, the card was no more, and Gunner's attack was back to 0.

**Haseo 400**

"I switch Gunner into defense mode." Nayuta said happily.

"Aren't you worried?" 'Haseo' asked worriedly. "Your Life Points are almost gone."

"So are yours. Difference is, I have two face downs and a defense mode monster. You don't."

_'What are her face downs? Could they be Effect Damage cards? Inflicting 400 points of damage could be easy for her. What if I draw the wrong card.'_

_'Trust me. Together we can kill her easily.'_

_'Kill her. Yes. Wait. Isn't she my friend. wait, no, I don't want to kill her. Nayuta, run. if you don't Skeith will...'_

'Haseo' reached for his next card, a grin flashed on his face as he felt strength pulsing through his deck. "I activate Grand Uprising. By removing from play the four .hack/ / cards in my graveyard I can normal summon a Dark Monster from my hand and make it immune to any and all effects. So I summon the Terror of Death- SKEITH!"

_'Finally, I am free.' _Skeith thought. _'Now to end this duel and begin our plans.'_

Nayuta grimaced as the disjointed limbs of the monster formed. It looked like a man made of oval shaped white boulders. (3000/2500) "Go, Skeith, crush Velonica Gunner!" A red wand materialized in the monster's hand. It was long with a Q shaped attachment at the end. He swung it down, crushing Velonica Gunner.

"I activate the Trap Card, DtecnoForce. This card will revive my Gunner!" Nayuta said with a smile.

"You activated this effect too soon." 'Haseo' said with a smirk. "I activate one of Skeith's effects, discarding a spell from my hand to Data Drain your monster and absorb his attack as Life Points!" Skeith planted the wand in the ground and fired a large golden beam of light at the revived Gunner. It quickly swallowed the Velonica card, replacing her with a blob. (0/0) "And your monster is replaced with a weaker target, a Slime Token."

**Haseo 2300**

"Are you forgetting that I've played the game as well. I figured you'd data drain my monster on your turn. Sorry, 'Haseo' but this is just what I planned. I activate my Trap Card, Ichirinno Hana! When a monster with 0 attack is summoned to my side of the field, I can Special Summon a Velonica monster from my deck."

"How the Hell did you predict you'd get a token with 0 attack?"

"I bring out Velonica Magician." (1600/1400) The blonde magician in blue robes smiled at Skeith. "My turn," Nayuta drew. "And I use her effect to revive Gunner, who in turn blasts Skeith away!" Velonica Gunner began firing bullets, and they blasted teh Terror of Death away. "what the Hell? I was just filling my graveyard with fodder. I didn't expect Skeith to die." She was genuinely stunned.

'Haseo' was shaking. "Skeith, you asshole, I thought you were supposed to be invincible or something!"

"Velonica Gunner, Magician, end this!"

The double attack came quickly, ending the duel.

**Haseo 0**

Haseo fell over, unconscious. A single card flew off his duel disk into the air. It slowly drifted down to earth, landing on Ryou's head. It was Skeith.**  
**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I didn't own any of that.**

**Anyway I hope that was satisfactory.**

**And, if you can't tell by now, I'm a fan of crotch attacks. Expect a few more, though I won't let them take over every chapter. Maybe just a few of the ones with Ross in it.**

**Anyway I might update more this weekend, but I really should be working on my homework. I have an essay and some questions.  
**


	55. The Kaiser's Might

**Disclaimer: I don't own**

**Also lol, I have two Maxwells, just realized**

**~xXx~**

"So Skeith is free. Why hasn't he made his move and brought despair upon the island?" Fray complained.

"Relax," Ender told her. "He's just been freed and needs time to recover his powers." The duo sat on the top of a large clock tower that overlooked a beautiful, bustling city.

"Then what is Cthulhu's excuse," Fray demanded.

Ienzo supplied the answer. "Our dear Lovecraftian master is very patient. He doesn't care how long everything takes, he just wants to let everyone else do all the work."

"Those bastards don't care what we have to go through." Ender stated bitterly. _'I swear to God we'll destroy them all some day.'_

**~xXx~**

Takuya smiled as he bit into his apple. It crunched in his teeth and juice ran down his throat. _'Skeith is free, the Organization will be moving forward now. I bet the servants are all getting upset about this. They probably want this all over with. And if my dear Shadow-chan is messing around as well, then she probably has some big plans as well.'_

He put on his best smile as he walked toward the infirmary. It had been a day since the play. Ryou still hadn't woken up from his coma. _'At least the poor guy is free from Skeith's control. I do however, fear that he'll be overwhelmed with guilt when he does awaken.'_

Emi sat in a chair, watching over her sleeping friend. "Dammit, first Subaru, now you," she whispered. She didn't notice Takuya watching her.

"Don't worry about him too much. I've spoken to Cthulhu. He says this is normal and Ryou should recover soon."

Emi's tone immediately changed. "Don't think I shall let my guard down around someone such as yourself. Whatever plan you are scheming, you are foolish to think it would work."

"Calm down, Emi" Takuya waved his hands defensively, I only came to, well yeah I'm here to further my goals. But it's something we both want. We have mutual interests this time."

"What reason would I have for trusting you when you are clearly a villain?"

"Clearly a, hey, I haven't even done anything that bad yet have I? I mean, besides kicking your girlfriend's ass in a duel."

"This isn't about what you have or haven't done, Takuya, this is about what you plan to do," Emi tapped her foot, "you're manipulating everyone to further your goals. I will not allow a manipulative person such as yourself to puppeteer me."

"Speak like a normal person. God, you're even worse than Nayuta when she tries to overload her sentences with assonance." Takuya grinned as he scolded the girl.

"You should refrain from assuming I give a fuck what you think."

**~xXx~**

Everyone went about their days normally. Sure, Naota and his friends were worried about Ryou, but there was nothing they could do at the moment. Ross was busy at the batting cages, perfecting his own swing, wishing he had a chance to play football as well. He might not have been as good a football player as a baseball player, but he missed the thrilling exhilaration of the contact sport. It contained a certain level of testosterone not found in baseball.

Nayuta was busy working on her homework for tactics class. She studied the question carefuly.

_Your opponent has summoned an __Aggiba, the Malevolent Sh'nn S'yo, Belial Marquis of Darkness, and a Summoned Skull. He has 4500 Life Points. You have a Red Eyes Black Dragon on the field, and in your hand you have a Lightning Vortex and a Mirror Force. You have 1900 Life Points. What do you do?_

She came up with several arguments in her head, but couldn't settle on one for an answer.

Naota and Hikaru were busy playing the Game of Life in Hikaru's bed room. The board rested comfortably on the carpeted floor. Hikaru laid on her side while Naota sat in the lotus position. He spun the wheel, it clicked away until it landed on a 9. He moved forward six spaces, stopping at the marriage sign as per the game's rules.

"Remember when we were little, and we used to play this with Yuu all the time?" He asked.

Hikaru nodded. "You used to argue that marriage shouldn't be a mandatory part of life and that people should be able to play the game without getting hitched."

"And Yuu would always make me laugh by putting another blue piece on his car instead of a pink one," Naota remembered.

"Naota," Hikaru began, "I know you miss him, I do to, but you seriously need to get a girlfriend. or a boyfriend. Whichever." Naota responded with an angry look.

Someone knocked at the door suddenly, catching both their attentions. "Hey Hikaru," said a voice. A short Obelisk blue girl with black hair stuck her face in through the door. "Did you get the memo. There's an announcement in the Duel Dome!"

"Huh," Naota was puzzled. "I didn't know about that."

"Let's go," Hikaru said, leaving the game as it was.

"Seriously, when was the announcement? And why announce an announcement when you can simply tell everyone when announcing the"

"Just hurry up, Ta-kun."

**~xXx~**

Hazel felt empty inside. Things had not proceeded according to calculation and now her friend was dead. Sure, Skeith was free and the Organization was that much closer to their goal, but she didn't want to lose someone so close to her. _'I wonder, can Skeith raise the dead?'_

She was standing in the Obelisk Blue duel dome, where a crowd had gathered for an announcement. Morganna smirked as she strolled up to the girl. "There have been a lot of deaths recently, haven't there? Too bad they're all getting covered up. I hear Chancellor Tenjoin tried his best to get school canceled for our safety, but Kaiba wouldn't let him."

"Hello Morganna," Hazel faked a cheery smile. She didn't trust the girl, and didn't want to show any signs of depression. She wouldn't let Morganna take advantage of her emotions.

"I heard about your boyfriend, looks like you guys screwed up big time."

"Shut up," Hazel growled.

"You guys messed up and now one of your friends is dead," Morganna smirked. "Oh well, who cares, I just hope this announcement is worth my getting out of bed." She tapped her foot in defiance.

Students flooded through the doorway, crowding the dome. They'd reach maximum capacity soon, and students were starting to feel uncomfortable. _'We should talk to Kaiba about building bigger domes,' _thought Chancellor Tenjoin as he watched. "Well, looks like everyone's here." He stepped up to the microphone and grabbed it.

"Welcome students," he said over the speakers. Conversations died as attention turned to Fubuki Tenjoin. "I would like to thank you all for gathering here on such short notice. Truth be told, we've been so busy with some problems lately that I completely forgot we had guests coming." He stood to the side, revealing a sight that elicited a chorus of gasps from the students. Several famous duelists had gathered there, and were facing the audience with smiles on their faces.

Seto Kaiba.

Yugi Muto.

Katsuya Jonouchi.

Ryou Bakura.

Mai Kujaku.

Seto Kaiba stepped forward and took the mike. "Hello students. I'm glad to see you're all working hard. I've seen the duel records and I'm quite impressed by everyone's talent. That is why in two days I am holding the Twilight Festival. It will be a chance for you students to test your skills against the biggest Pros around! Who knows, you may even get a chance to duel me!"

The students erupted into cheers of approval. If this was happening that meant classes would probably be canceled.

"To kick off the festivities, Yugi and I will be having a special duel!" Kaiba announced. This created further cheer.

Ryou Bakura listened to his other self speaking in his head. _'This could be quite fun. We should use this opportunity to get our hands on Yugi's God Cards.'_

_'Listen up, bub, there's no way I'm letting you steal from a friend.'_

_'Did you just call me Bub? I miss the days when you respected me.'_

_'I didn't respect you, I feared you.'_

Sora ignored the Pros onstage, instead scanning the area for signs of Ross. _'I wonder how he's doing? I haven't spoken to him lately.' _It wasn't hard to find the boy. Ross was wearing a white T-shirt and gym shorts, work out clothes. His gaze focused directly on Mai's chest, much to Sora's amusement. _'I shouldn't have expected anything else from you.' _He tried walking to the boy, but Fumiko grabbed his hand.

"Let's find Hazel. She should be around here somewhere. We should find out what the Organization is planning." She seemed upset that she and Sora hadn't received any orders recently.

"Oh, sure." He agreed.

While this was going on, Naota turned to Hikaru. "Hey, do you think Judai is going to be there?" He asked excitedly. "I hope so! I'd love the chance to duel him." The teenager sounded like a lovestruck child as he spoke of his idol.

"Maybe. I hear he's in France somewhere with his boyfriend, though."

"JUDAI AND JOHAN ARE JUST FRIENDS!" Naota protested. "I don't know who started those stupid rumors about them." The young boy grumbled under his breath.

"Okay. Sure, whatever you say, Ta-kun."

Fubuki grabbed the microphone once more. "Now, for a special treat, we will have a special duel between the Kaiser and two other students at this academy!" He gestured to kaiser Young, the boy at his side. The Obelisk Blue duelist bowed respectfully. "Who will they be? That's up for fate to decide." He pointed to a giant screen on the wall, normally used for displaying Life Points in a duel. It beeped to life and began flashing duelist profiles. "And the winners are...Nayuta Amachi and Kai Florence!"

"M..me?" Nayuta looked around in astonishment. "Hell yeah!" She eagerly charged onto the stage as fast as a Sonic Duck. Her partner, Kai, strolled onto the stage casually, and offered her a frown.

"The Kaiser's really strong, don't do anything to hold us back."

Maxwell smiled at his two opponent's. "Kai, you should be nice to your partner. The key to victory in a triangle duel is to work together and use the power of team work to win." Three Duel Disks hummed to life.

**Nayuta 4000  
Kai 4000**

**Maxwell 4000**

"Wait, why does he only have 4000 Life Points?" Nayuta asked.

Maxwell smiled. "Not to sound arrogant, but I am the Kaiser. I figured this would be a decent handicap to make the duel seem more interesting."

"Hmph, I could beat you without a partner," Kai grumbled. "This will be easy." He drew five cards and waited for the Kaiser to make the first move.

"I end my turn." the Kaiser stated after drawing a sixth.

"Wh-what?" Nayuta gulped as she watched Kai draw.

"I set three cards face down," he announced as his holograms appeared. "And I summon Killer Koi in attack mode!" (2000/100) The audience gasped as the mponster appeared. So the rumors were true, there was a new normal monster with stats to rival Gene Warped War Wolf!

"Attack him," Nayuta told her partner

"What? Are you crazy! He probably has Gorz in his hand. He'll summon it and beat us to death next turn."

"You can cut his Life Points in half with this one attack. It will be wort it. Besides, even if he summons Gorz, I can take it." Nayuta stated. "And besides, I think he has something else planned."

Kai swallowed an insult as he pointed forward. "Killer Koi, attack directly!" the fish swam through the air and tackled the Kaiser in the stomach, draining his Life Points significantly.

**Maxwell: 2000**

"Wow, I was actually hoping that you'd hold back in fear of a Gorz retaliation, nice call, Nayuta." Maxwell smiled as the girl drew. "This could end up being a total humiliation for me."

"I set two cards and summon Velonica Gunner! (1900/1200) Time to show him what we've got." Velonica Gunner nodded, showing understanding. She fired her guns at Maxwell, dropping his Life Points."

**Maxwell 100**

"Wow, looks like he's in trouble," said an audience member.

"His dad does stuff like this all the time in the Pro Leagues. He's probably going to use _that _card."

"What card? And who is his dad?"

"Maxwell Andreadis. He uses Warrior Type monsters to swarm the field while constantly destroying his opponent's defenses with his Silence Combos. It's hard to pull off because you need to keep your graveyard empty, but he manages."

Maxwell drew a card and smiled. "I end my turn and discard Silent Pain from my hand due to size limitations."

Kia began his turn by drawing, and watched as a Malice Doll of demise appeared behind his Killer Koi slitting the monster's belly.

**Kai 3000**

"During your standby phase, if Silent Pain is the only card in my graveyard, it destroys all your monsters and inflicts damage to you at the same time." Kai frowned at Maxwell's smile. "Of course, if you manage to attack me now, then it will all end before it even matters."

Kai looked at his hand. "I summon Dream Koi in attack mode." A shining rainbow fish swam onstage, but Maxwell held out his hand in objection.

"I am able to activate Silent Space from my hand, even during your turn. It destroys your monster and removes itself from play." Maxwell watched his opponent's monster vanish into another realm of existence.

"I set one card and end my turn." Kai stated, causing Nayuta to draw. Velonica Gunner began melting into a puddle of water.

**Nayuta 3000**

"I'll just end my turn now."

"You idiot. Summon a monster and attack. He probably doesn't have another Silent Space. And if he does, then we definitely want to force him to use it."

"I'm listening to my instincts."

Maxwell drew. _'Too bad she didn't attack. I would have loved to use my Kurinin to stop her. And I'd have tribute fodder as well. But, it doesn't matter.' _He threw a card down. "I activate Soul Absorption, menaing I gain 500 Life Poinst for every removed from play card. Then I use Polymerization, fusing the Tragoedia and Zorc Necrophades in my hand!"

A fienidish black and blue creature with spiked armor and a red cape materialized on the field. It had seven heads that snapped and snarled and long wings that stretched out far beyond the battlefield. "Welcome my Tragoedia Necrophades!" (3200/0) "I'll use his effect. I can remove any number of cards from my graveyard to select any number of cards on the field/ Then, those cards will have any effects of theirs negated for the turn, wether they are face up or not. So, I get rid of his components and Polymerization to negate those three face downs," he pointed at three of Kai's cards. "And attack you directly."

**Kai 0  
Maxwell 1600**

Seven heads snapped at Kai, their teeth all finding good chunks of meat to bite. One got his arm, two got his left leg, one settled for his neck, and two more attacked his sides while the last went for his chest.

Kai fell down, defeated. "Next, I release my fusion monster for Dark Hierophant." (1700/100) "His attack may not seem like much, but I'll put his effect to good use. Once per turn, I can remove from play a Dark Monster in my graveyard to steal 700 Life Points from you. So I remove from play my Tragoedia Necrophades!"

A man in black robes held his hands together in prayer as wind blew through his white hair. His wrinkled skin was pale, and his smile was wicked. His aura was nearly dark enough to make Nayuta sick.

**Maxwell 2800  
Nayuta 2300**

"I end my turn."

"Why'd he do that?"

"His monster was so powerful?"

"Is he planning something?"

Nayuta drew, and her Life Points went down further.

**Nayuta 1300**

_'I don't want to lose. __**Then don't lose. **__I can't win. __**Then give up. **__I don't want to give up. __**Then prove yourself wrong and win!' **_Her internal argument with herself gave her renewed strength. "I summon Velonica Magician (1600/1400) And I use her effect to revive Velonica Gunner!" (1900/1200)

"Free revival huh? And you can do it once per turn. Sounds pretty powerful."

"Now I use Velonica Gunner's effect to destroy your Hierophant!" Nayuta's monster jumped on its friend's shoulders and bounded into the sky, raining bullets from above. The Dark Hierophant merely smiled as it was destroyed. "Now direct attack, both of you."

"And they're both allowed to continue their attacks? Tch, this is bad for me. I block Gunner by summoning Kurinin!" (300/200) The small ninja Kuriboh materialized on Gunner's back, plunging the dagger in before she could respond. Horrified at her friend's death, Velonica Magician immediately sent a cascading waterfall to drown the ninja.

Water gurgled as it fell from above, capturing the ninja in an inescapable aquatic prison.

**Maxwell 1500**

"So, unless I destroy that monster next turn, you'll revive your Gunner, or whatever fodder you used for its effect. Sounds problematic." Maxwell drew a card. Luckily for me, I can end this duel on this turn. I'll begin with Card of Sanctity, allowing us both to draw until we have six cards in our hand." His Duel Disk supplied the cards, and he returned the favor by feeding one of them directly into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Spell Card Future Fusion! I remove from my deck Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, and Belial-The Marquis of Darkness, to prepare the road for a new fusion. Then I activate the Spell Card, Dark Prophecy. I remove from play a Level 5 or Higher Dark Monster to speed the game forward three turns. So by removing Hierophant, I usher in the darkness that is known simply as- The Banished!" (2800/2000)

A dark haired angel with blood red wings and dark purple robes appeared before Maxwell. "My monster is a tad unusual. He can be Fusion Summoned through a few combinations, and his effect is determined based on the particular combination. Right now, he can remove from play a spell in my graveyard to gain an 800 point boost until the end of the turn. So I'll remove from play my Dark Prophecy to activate his effect!" (3600/2000)

**Maxwell 2500.**

Nayuta trembled, knowing the end was near. "Next, I use Dimension Fusion paying 2000 Life Points to bring back my removed from play Dark Hierophant, Tragoedia, Tragoedia Necrophades, and I'll have them attack!" Nayuta watched the dimensions distort as the army of monsters emerged from the portal. They towered over her menacingly.

**Maxwell 500**

"I activate the Trap Card Melody of the Wild Dance. When a Level 7 or higher monster attacks a Level 4 or lower Velonica Monster I control, that monster gains 500 attack points for each monster you control, meaning our monsters are now tied at 3600 attack points!"

Velonica Magician and The Banished sliced through each other, The Banished used a sword made of dark energy while the Magician created hers out of water. Both monsters fell in battle.

"Next, I activate the Trap Card, Reckless Fire. When two monsters of equal strength are destroyed in battle, we both take damage equal to half their attack." A fire erupted and rushed toward both players, threatening to engulf everything and reduce it to ash.

"I'll use the Quick-Play Spell Ring of Defense!" Two green rings with attachments like flower petals appeared and blocked the fire from reaching either player. "Damage from a trap is negated. Now my other monsters continue their attacks!"

Nayuta cringed as Tragoedia Necrophades' heads tore into her.

**Nayuta 0**

She fell to her knees.

"Damn, that was pretty scary," Maxwell admitted. "You've got some pretty good instincts. I bet you have the potential to become Kaiseress when you're a third year."

Nayuta smiled at the statement.

"And the winner is Kaiser Maxwell," Fubuki stated as he took the microphone once more. "Everyone give a round of applause for all three of our duelists."

The crowd obeyed, clapping a loudly as they could.

_'Enough of this,' _Kai scoffed mentally. _'I can't believe I allowed him to make such a fool out of me.'_

Maxwell merely smiled. _'This Nayuta girl is rather interesting. I think it might be beneficial to get to know her better.'_


End file.
